The Darkest Magic
by Tifa Strifeheart
Summary: Having left home to get away from it all, Yugi and Yami discover a world they never knew existed and what they set out to do gets caught up in it. Atemu isn't the only thing that stayed behind - besides what good are friends that stay left behind?
1. Prologue

The Yugioh! Harry Potter fic I've wanted to write for like ever. Well this is it. Tell me what you all think ok?

Oh and I own neither Harry Potter nor Yu-Gi-Oh! But I would settle for Yu-Gi-Oh! If given the choice!

**The Darkest Magic**

**Tifa Strifeheart**

**Prologue**

"W-what happened in there?" The entire gang was gathered in the Ishtars living room which wasn't particularly strange since none of them had any residence in Egypt. What _was _strange was the very fact that the _whole_ gang was here. After the Ceremonial Battle the 'whole' gang was never supposed to be together again but alas, there was Yami Yugi, leaning against the wall farthest from the door and consequentially able to see everyone and be seen by them. On occasion each of them would flash glances at him and then at Yugi who happened to be sitting in the seat closest to the pharaoh. Looks varied from worry and concern on Ishizus face to confusion on that of Jounouchi and Honda to badly suppressed joy on Anzus to finally stoic bewilderment on Kabias face. Jou's stuttered words were met by silence and all faces glanced at the silent pharaoh again. Finally Ishizu cleared her throat lowering the hand she had raised to her mouth to go back to tensely holding her hands in her lap.

"I too would like to know what has happened, my pharaoh. The scriptures clearly state what was to happen with the result of the duel between yourself and Yugi. By all standards, my lord, you should not even be here." All eyes were now on the former Pharaoh now. The one in question finally moved, pushing himself off the beige wall and incidentally shifting the brown sack that he had brought back with them. The clinking sound filled the silent room and drew the only yami in the room eyes down to it. After a moment of apparent thought, the pharaoh bent down and opened the top of the bag. From it he pulled out the millennium puzzle still in one complete piece. Reaching further into the bag he pulled out the metal chain that it had once hung on and rethreaded the treasure. Then, without sparing a glance for anyone else in the room, he walked over to where Yugi sat. Trembles ran through his tiny body, he was still trying to get over that his yami was still here and not on the other side. Fluently the pharaoh got down on one knee beside the small boy and slowly slid the puzzles around his neck. The weight of the puzzle was so familiar, Yugi hadn't realized how empty he had felt without it and now that it was back tears came to his eyes in both the pain of loos and the joy of having that which was lost back.

"It's simple, Yugi called me." There was a still moment before all eyes turned to Yugi this time. The boy in question was staring up at his other half eyes wide. Slowly he shook his head. He would never keep Yami from happiness. Not his yami. Not from the happiness that awaited him on the other side. Seeing the sorrowful look on the others face, Yami smiled at the other comfortingly. "No don't think like that." Yugi started, he had forgotten that the other was in his head. At the thought Yami grinned. "It's not only your fault. I didn't _want_ to leave you; all of you. But I couldn't have stayed without you Yugi." He touched a place on the younger's chest chest. "You called me back, soul to soul and that is not a call that can be easily brushed off." His smile melted. "But remaining here does not come without a price."

"Bakura…" Ryous voice was so quite but carried in semi-large room. All eyes turned to him but he only had eyes for the pharaoh. Yami didn't exactly smile but his expression was not as harsh as it would have been when speaking of the tomb-robber.

"He remains. But I believe that he is no longer the person that he once was… or at least not as much of the person he once was. With Zork banished the darkness must have faded… some." Across the room Ryou nodded. Beside him there was a movement which made all others in the room focused on him. Malik was staring at the Pharaoh a mix of resignation and fear on his face.

"And Marik." This time Yami did frown.

"I do not know. Not all is the same as it once was. Or so I am told." Ishizus head lifted at this.

"Told by whom… if I may ask." Yami looked over at her.

"I may not have crossed but I did meet with those on the other side. Things have to change. That which should have crossed along with I has remained in this world. And we are the ones that have been deemed to stop it." There was a snort that could have come from only one other person in the room. Mokuba was nudging his brother who was scowling at the pharaoh.

"I thought all of your magic crap was over and done with." Yami chuckled. "Doesn't seem like it. I've been given my instructions and you are as much a part of it now Kaiba as you were before and have always been." The brunette snorted again.

"And how the hell do you figure that?" The look on Yamis face this time was the smirk that was normal for him. Giving Yugis knee a squeeze, he stood up and walked towards the bag that he had left at the wall. Bending over he picked up the bag and reached in turning to smirk at Kaiba. In his hand he slowly pulled out a gradually lengthen handle.

"Because, I have a gift for you. The gods have finally decided to return what is rightfully yours."

* * *

Six Months later

"But I don't understand why the giant robot things wanted to destroy the world. What was their quarrel with the humans?" Yugi sighed. They had been going at this since they had left the theatre ten minutes ago. He made a mental not that if there was a transformers three he wasn't going to take his other half to go and see it.

"Look Atemu, they just needed a reason to have all the cool special affects ok." Beside him the other frowned but didn't say anything at the sudden change of answer. Yugi had given up trying to explain the twisted logic of giant robots that changed shape at will. He may have been better able to in general if he could understand the reasons himself. It wasn't that they didn't make sense but more that they weren't rational. He shrugged. But then who was he to judge right.

"What are you thinking about Abiou?" Yugi rolled his eyes.

"You should know." Beside him Atemu smirked.

"But it's polite to ask." Yugi shook his head as he laughed beside him he saw Yami smiling warmly at him. The pharaoh crossed his arms over his chest. "So what are we going to do when we get home?" Yugi's laughter had subsided and the question had his mind pausing. Home. He still remembered when he and Yami had approached his grandpa about the pharaoh. The old man had only said that he had suspected something like this from the beginning and would be glad to have Atemu stay with them. He had laughed then and had said that any one giving up the afterlife for his grandson was welcome in his home any day. Now the game shop was their home. Grandpa was at home waiting for them, or sleeping whichever he felt. The happy feeling that welled up inside of his had been one he had carried with him for months now and wouldn't give it up for anything else. A pair of arms wrapped themselves around his waist. "Have I lost you abiou?" A blush rose to his face. Well he could think of one thing that could make it all even better but he had no idea how to even begin approaching that.

"No. I was just thinking." He could feel his yamis smile.

"About…" Yugi just shook his head not bothering to continue his walk or get out of the others embrace.

"Oh just about stuff." This time Atemu chuckled.

"What kinda stuff?" Pouting Yugi turned around and Atemu was forced to let go of him.

"Why so nosy?" It all happened faster than his mind could process in one single instant. One moment he was smiling up at his yami, the other returning the smile whole heartedly. The next he was flat on the pavement his left side stinging from his hard impact and Atemu flush on top of him. "A-Atemu?" the pharaoh bounced up to his feet and hastily reached out his hand to help Yugi up. It was the look in his eye that had Yugi scrambling to his feet with the help of the others hand and staying silent as Atemu turned away from him.

/_Atemu, what is it?/_ Atemu glanced back at him for an instant before turning to face the empty street again. His head moving from side as he apparently searched for something.

_/Someone… more than one person is out there watching us. Whatever they want it is not good./_ Now Yugi was staring into the darkness. He may not be as strong as the other was at shadow magic but he was learning. It was exactly that training that had him turning his head towards the north seconds before Atemu informed him.

_/They are coming from that direction abiou./_ Atemu turned his head in the opposite direction. /_/And there./_ He glanced at the street directly in front of them. _/And there./ _ Yugi realized that they were surrounded.

_/Yami.../_

_/Stay behind me Yugi/_ Yugi watched as they silently approached. There were eight of them all dressed in what he suspected were robes. They were all black and the pulled up hood hid their faces from the dim light of the street lamp. For an instant he remembered what people used to say about crazies coming out when the sun sets. Thoughts of the sun made him distantly wonder if they could be vampires. In his life there wasn't any possibility that could be completely ruled out.

"Who are you? What do you want?" The sound of Atemus voice soothed the fear that had begun to rise in Yugis throat. Even surrounded by these strange… things his voice didn't shake like Yugis knew his would have. He sounded as firm as he always had, that probably came from being a pharaoh. There was no response from the black cloaked people. They had stooped roughly 15 feet from them on all sides and stared at them. After a long moment of silence one of them moved.

"So are they the ones?" The male voice was rough and booming. Yugi was sure if he met that kind of voice in an ally he would have run for his life.

"They must be. Do you see the pendant?" This voice was slimy. It crept him out far worse than the first one. Who were these people?

"But there are two. Master said that there was only one." Across from the one that had just spoken another lifted an arm revealing a slender wrist holding what appeared to Yugi to be a stick.

"Who cares, I saw we kill them both and take both pendants." Yugi never thought that there could be a woman could send shivers running down his spin. But this woman made if feel like ice had been poured into his shirt. Mentally he shook his head. That could be no woman. In the back of his mind he felt Yami agreeing with him. "I hope that they don't put up as much as a fight as that old man did. Stupid muggle thinking he could outsmart me." The mention of an old man had Yugis blood turning to ice in his veins. In front of him he saw Atemus body stiffening, and he could feel the same dread that he was feeling now echoed in the other only in Atemu he also felt worry and concern directed at him as well. For that he was grateful for it gave him courage to do what he did next.

"What old man? What have you done to him?" The woman's hooded head turned from her comrade to face him. Her laugh was a high and cruel sounding thing. Yugi had to swallow to speak again, his fright slowly seeping into his voice but fear for his grandfather far stronger. "What did you do?" From this distance he knew she was smirking at him.

"He refused to tell us where you were. Now he'll never refuse me again." Something inside him broke and he slid to his knees. Above him there was a cry from Atemu but for the life of him he couldn't understand had he had said. Soon a roaring filled his ears blocking out all sound, his eyes staring blindly at the pavement. She had to be lying. Nothing could have happened to grandpa.

_/Abiou!/ _Even in his head Atemus voice seemed to be coming from a distance. _/Abiou please! Don't lose hope!/ _The words reached him after a long moment but it was the brilliant flash of light above him that had his head rising to look up at his protector. Yami was standing with his legs spread apart in an effort to hold his body up, his right hand gripping his left shoulder where blood was making the black material of his shirt even darker.

"We don't need you," The woman had moved in whatever scuffle had ensued. In fact they had all moved in some way or another. Yugi noticed this dimly as if watching a movie or some such. She slowly began to raise her hand. "All we need is what you're wearing. We can leave your bodies here!" Light came streaking from the clear sky, burying themselves in the ground surrounding all of them in the area. Before he could process what was happening, Atemu had him in his arm and ran passing through one of the pillars of light as he did so. Only as the lights that trapped the hooded people were almost faded did he realize that they had been swords made of light. But he didn't care about any of that. All he could think about was his grandpa back at the store. As if sensing his thoughts Atemu began to move faster.

_/Abiou, are you alright?/_ He shook his head.

"I don't know…"

* * *

The sight of the game shop had his heard stopping in his chest. What could have happened here? But more important still; what had happened to the old man? He glanced down at his partner staring at the shop. Even Yugis thoughts had frozen and, in his worry, Atemus heart went out to him. The old man was the only family that his abiou had left. The Kame Game Shop's door and windows had been shattered. Some of the lights inside had been smashed as well but the few lights still on illuminated destroyed shelves and crushed games, not a single thing was still intact. Atemu recognized this type of destruction. It was destruction for the mere sake of it, for the pleasure. Yugi took a step towards his broken home and Atemu could only follow on the boys heels closely monitoring the others mind as they went.

They found the old man in the back room and even from the doorway Atemu could tell that he was gone.

His chest tightened in grief. The old man's presence was still fading. Like an echo of where he dwelled throughout his life. It hurt. Through the link he could feel Yugi's sobbing. He made his way to his hikari, his legs shaky and a burning sensation bothering the back of his eyes. He fell to his knees beside the shaking figure that was sobbing over his grandfather's body. Being so close to this body that was so familiar and so empty hurt; placing his head atop Yugis he held the boy as he cried but couldn't take his eyes off the body.

He didn't know if it was better that the body was unscarred or not, he looked so peaceful almost as if he had fallen asleep in the middle of the living room floor. He started as he realized that there were tears on his face. How could the old man really be gone? The pain he was feeling so miniscule compared to the agony he felt in his little abiou. "Grandpa… Grandpa no." Atemus squeezed his eyes shut as Yugi buried his face in his chest and did his best to suppress the sobs he felt rising in his throat. Yugi sounded so broken, and empty. He needed to be here for his abiou so he just let the other cry keeping his tears silent as the other wept he would find time to mourn later. Already thoughts of retribution begin to form with in him. He wasn't sure how long it had been before Yugi spoke again.

"Yami…" He pressed his face in the others hair his arms tightening around the other. Yugis voice was thick and through the link he could feel his misery and the stirrings of something he couldn't yet recognize.

_/What is it Yugi?/_ There was a long silence.

"You know who did this don't you? You know who- who did this to grandpa?" Atemu was still his mind racing. In the end he knew that he couldn't lie to his little one.

_/I'm pretty sure./_ Yugi was silent and in his mind Atemu could feel what it was that was stirring. His poor abiou. Whay had this have to happen to him. "No Yugi. Stop those thoughts now."

"It was those people in black wasn't it? They did this." Yugi's voice was still thick from his sobbing but it was slowly starting to harden. Even though Atemu knew that he was in shock this wasn't right.

"Yugi, you can't do this. He wouldn't want you thinking like this." Yugi suddenly pulled away, his normally gentle eyes glaring up at him.

"Well he's not here anymore! They took them from me!" His voice broke into sobs. "They took him from me." Atemu let the other collapse into his arms as the sobs wracked his body. "I-I don't want to stay here." It was a whisper but Atemu heard it.

"Why Abiou. He-"

"I don't want them to see me like this." Atemu frowned.

"To see you like what Abiou?" Yugi was still a long moment. "Abiou?"

"I want revenge!" Atemu started at Yugi's cry. "I want them all to pay! I want them all to suffer for what they took from me!"His voice dropped to the barest whisper. "I want them to die." Amethyst eyes turned away from his and to the body that lay on the wooden floor. Atemu's eyes widened in bouth shock and horror; he knew that the other was in shock but this…. "The others won't understand. Yami… I hate them so much."

"Yugi I think…" He trailed off. The torment that melted through the mind link shattered his thoughts.

"I don't want to stay here… Yami I can't." Slowly Atemu nodded.

"If that is what you truly wish little one…" There was little more that he could think of so he just held the other as he began to cry again the body of the now late Sugoroku Mutou slowly getting colder at their knees.

* * *

Kaiba Seto sat in his living room for once unsure what to do. Atemu had been here not moments before. He had told him that he and Yugi were leaving the city that night and had handed him a thick envelope that had 'Kaiba Seto' written which he said explained everything. He ran a hand through his brown locks. What were those two even thinking? With a sigh he slit the top of the envelope open. His frown deepened as he pulled out a set of keys. The deed that followed did nothing to put him at ease. Placing them both the keys and the proof of ownership on the table beside them he pulled out the letter that was inside.

_Kaiba Seto, _

_Yugi and I are leaving Domin. Tonight Mutou Sugoroku was murdered in the Game Shop. We may be rivals but I wish to ask you a request and hope you can lend your aid for by morning we will no longer be in Japan. The others do not know so please…_

As the letter ended Kaiba sighed as he glanced back at the keys glinting in the light of the table lamp. This wasn't like Yugi. There was suddenly so much in his lap but not for a moment did he consider throwing off the burden. He sighed again.

* * *

In the morning the great majority of the small population of Domino had no idea what had happened in the little game shop the night before. Not about how the police had been called to the place to find an old man dead with his grandson standing beside him. On glancing at the front page of the Domino Tribune, a number were shocked to read about the break in at the local Museum and some of the precious Egyptian artefacts that had been stolen and some made mental notes to check out the mayhem.

Throughout the day tears and words of grief spilled from those who recognized the small picture of an elderly man within a larger picture of his shop that had been found dead in his own home. In the days to come that grief would be joined by the tears of children who came to the small Kame Game shop as was the norm only to find the shattered glass and police tape and learn what had befallen the kindly old man that seemed to always be there after school; the elderly man that had allowed everyone to call him 'grandfather.' The word of his death spread and with it mounted a surprising amount of grief from all that had been touched by him.

None, however, could imagine how important these seemingly small and sad events would have on the future. But then, very few ever could anyways.

* * *

Grandpa! *sob* I felt so bad writing that. I really didn't want to kill him at a point I rewrote that whole scene to have him in a coma of some sort, but then I realized that it wouldn't work and that I was trying to find a way to chicken out of it so I just sucked in my gut and did it. I feel like such a horrible person.

Now before I get anyone's hopes up, I picked a stupid time to start this fic for the main reason that school starts in less than a week and since I am a lowly university student with more work than I know what to do with don't expect the updates to be pouring in.

On that downer of a note – Please Review


	2. Chapter 1

Well here's another chapter.

**The Darkest Magic**

**Tifa Strifeheart**

**Chapter One**

No matter how many times the water fell from the sky Ryou Bakura could not just get used to it but that was all it seemed to do here in London. He sighed and leaned against the window sill. Rainy days always brought bad memories; after all, it had been raining the day of Grandpa Mutous funeral. He sighed again.

It had been over two years since the day they had discovered that Yugi had gone and rationally Ryou knew that he couldn't blame his little friend yet at the same time it hurt that he hadn't trusted them enough to come to his friends. He had gone to the funeral in part for himself and in part for Yugi. It didn't really surprise him that everyone had turned up. Jou, Anzu and Honda had been in tears so had Rebbeca and Auther Hopkins. The Kaibas had shown up as well, a stony faced Seto holding the hand of a sobbing Mokuba. There had been quite a number of people, a lot whom Ryou didn't know, all there to pay their respects. But even with the large numbers didn't seem to make up for the gaping emptiness where Yugi and Atem were supposed to be. It had all been so heart breaking.

After that life went on, they all grew up and graduated but nothing was the same anymore. Yugi's absence hurt them all, in his opinion it had effected Jou the most. Right after the funeral the blonde boy seemed to digress. He once again began to bully the populace of the school. They had tried to stop him but it had been to no avail. Only Honda had any idea what the other was going through and even he hadn't been able to get through to his old friend. Both Anzu and he himself had been at a complete loss and could only watch as their friend got further and further away. The solution had come for the most unexpected place: in the form of Seto Kaiba. The CEO had taken the blond somewhere after he had picked a fight with the brunette. None of them really know what words were shared, Jou had never told them, but he had come to them the next day, repentant and slightly banged up.

After the events with Jou, Kaiba had begun to sit with them at lunch and hang out with the group occasionally. They could only consider him a friend by the barest of threads but that seemed to be enough. It helped Anzu for one thing. Now that she once again had people to preach of the wonders of friendship to again she had slowly begun to climb out of her depression. She began to study dancing with more vigour then before telling them that she had promised Yugi that she would do it and that was what she was going to do. Ryou smiled at that memory. She had gotten her wish. He had her latest post card from New York in a rubber banded bundle in his desk.

He on the other hand had not been allowed to sink into depression as so many of his other friends had. Unconsciously he lifted a hand to touch the ring that hung around his neck shivering slightly as the cool metal pressed against his chest. The item never seemed to warm when it was like this, vacant of the spirit that had possessed it for so long. There had been so much that had changed but at the same time so much had stayed the same. When Atemu had handed him the ring back he had felt the urge to throw it away or to tell the ancient pharaoh that he didn't want it; but he couldn't. And that was how he and Bakura met again.

_& & Flashback & &_

_Safe for the moment in his bedroom Ryou stared down at the item in his shaking hands. He had hid his fear as best he could from the others but he didn't think he had fooled the pharaoh for a second. Atemu had taken him aside on the plane back to Japan and had told him that he was the only one who could care for the ring and the spirit inside. _"As much as I would prefer to be rid of the Tomb robber, this is how it should be." _Ryou shook his head. So much had happened to him from the day that his father handed this item to him and he had thought that he could finally be rid of the abusive spirit within it. With a sigh he slipped the ring over his head and resigned himself to his fate. After a long time and no sudden appearance of the yami Ryou frowned. Settling down on his bed, he closed his eyes and went to a place he had only been to a handful of times._

_If what Yugi and Atemu had said was right then this place he always found himself was a reflection of his soul. The picture on the bedside table only proved this fact. He had no pictures of his little sister in the real world. He glanced at the cleaner that sat at the foot of the bed, a cloth resting against it. If this was a reflection of his soul then he could figure out what that meant. If only wiping away the past could be as easy. Ignoring the rest of the rooms decorations, Ryou turned to the only door and opened it. The door swung open soundlessly leading into a infinitely dark hall, the only thing that he could make out was the heavy door across from his. Taking a deep breath, Ryou took a step towards the other door and turned the knob. It as heavier then it looked and he had to lean his body against it and push it open in one motion before he lost his nerve. What he saw shocked him._

_It was an old room, one mad of what was apparently mud stones but large in a way that he doubted a mud home could be. There was a bed that seemed to be a cross between a modern day bed and what would have been spreading on a floor. Littered here and there were apparently treasures, some that appeared of immeasurable value and others that didn't look to be treasures at all. But none of that is what had Ryou frozen at the door. There were holes, large gaping holes that seemed to lead to the shadow realm itself. Only by a bare minimum was their more wall then hole. He watched in horror as one of the little treasures on the floor was slowly sucked into one of the holes of darkness. Is this what Zorc had done to his yami? He was still trying to understand when he heard a cry from the other side of the room. _

_Bakura, was holding on to what looked like a soccer ball sized glimmering ruby that was slowly being dragged into one of the larger holes. He cried out in frustrated anger as he lost an inch to the shadow realms pull. Before he knew what he was thinking, Ryou was across the room and helping his yami pull back the treasure. As soon as his hands touched the shimmering surface his senses were flooded._

_Feelings of joy and happiness, crashed into him, there was also sadness and anger as well but the underlying tone to all of those emotions was contentment. Rather than the room around him he saw what had to be a child Bakura arguing with an older man, playing with a younger girl holding the hand of an elder woman. The child laughed in front of his eyes, he cried and he lost his temper. There he was training his first horse and again with the body of his first kill raised high above his head. It was as if a life was flashing before his eyes and suddenly Ryou was back tugging on the large gem for all he was worth and understanding what these treasures were and why this one was the most valuable. They were Bakuras memories. And this one was his memories of his village. With a final jerk the ruby was pulled out of the grip of the shadows and sent both of the sprawling._

_Touching the place where his head had connected with the floor Ryou sat up and looked around for his yami. Bakura was up on his knees holding the ruby as if it were breakable glass. Something was obviously wrong with his yamis state of mind. Not wanting to startle the other, Ryou called out to him softly. When there was no reply he got onto his knees and slowly moved to the other who was still entranced by whatever it was that the ruby was showing him. "Bakura." The other started, grabbing the orb to his chest tightly and staring at Ryou with confused eyes to his surprise, the look hurt him. He shook of the slight stab. "Bakura, it's me." Recognition flashed into those eyes for an instant. _

"_R-Ryou." He nodded and raised a hand._

"_Come on Bakura. We need to get you out of here." Redish brown eyes stared out the outstretched hand then at the ruby in his arms and finally returned to Ryou. Ryou smiled comfortingly a small part of his mind questioning why he was being so nice to someone who would only hurt him later on. "You can take it with you." There was a long moment of stillness before the thief took his hand. Ryou rose to his feet and helped to other up. Slowly they made their way out of the broken soul._

_& & End Flash Back & & _

Ryou smiled faintly at the memory. After he had made Bakura comfortable in his own soul room he had gone to see Atemu. The pharaoh had not been surprised. He had explained that the influence of Zorc for all those years had begun to tear apart the very essence of Bakuras soul and now that the evil was gone there was nothing to fill the holes where it had been. And just like the pharaoh had said it had taken months to get through his other half. He had monitored the slow repair of Bakuras soul room while the dark spirit had dwelled with in his. The time that they had spent so close together had changed their bond as well. He was always aware of his recovering yami a sensation that he had never experienced before and at times he would get flashes of the others memories and feeling. At those times it was when Bakura had been viewing his memories inside Ryous soul room.

Now, over two years later, Bakura was back to his old self. Well almost. With all his memories intact he seemed a kinder version of himself if such a thing was possible. Even though not many of the others had noticed the difference as Bakuras light Ryou could tell and he was grateful for the change as a whole. The door suddenly slammed and he turned in time to see Bakura walk into the living room shaking his mane of white hair. Ryou smiled as their eyes met and watched his other cross the room in that silent way of his.

The thing that had shocked him the most is that when all of Bakuras memories had returned he had apologized – for everything. Well no one else would have considered it an apology but he saw it for what it had really been. He had explained that he had only wanted his light to be stronger and a voice that he no longer heard had told him that pain was the only way. He didn't want what had happened to him to ever happen to his own light. After getting over the horror of Bakuras logic he had been touched in a twisted kind of way.

"Welcome home." Bakura had stopped and Ryou could only stare up at him. Suddenly the thief smirked and engulfed him in a bear hug. With a cry Ryou began trying to push the larger man off of him. "Ahh… Bakura!" Bakura just chuckled as he pulled away and then began to peel off his wet cloths. Ryou stared down at his suddenly damp clothing in dismay.

"Well that's what you get for not being on guard." Ryou just huffed deciding to not cross his arms when they brought the wet shirt closer to his skin. Bakura glanced at him his smirk fading as his hands holding the wet shirt he was taking off stilled.

"I felt them." Ryous amusement faded and he froze. He didn't share with the others but they had been searching; for so long now. He didn't want to hope. "It was only for an instant so short I couldn't even focus on it but it was defiantly the millennium puzzle; and it was close by."

* * *

Amber eyes snapped open still cloudy with the remnants of sleep and dreams. Finally beginning to see what was actually in front of him, 20 year old Katsuya Jonouchi squeezed his eyes shut against the morning sunlight with a low groan. Just as he was about to roll over the blaring screeching of his alarm clock started up. Not only were the gods out to take eyesight but his hearing as well. Pulling himself up he slammed down on the alarm clock with a bit more force than necessary. It had been months since the darn thing had actually woke him up but what could he say. Old habits die hard. Pulling himself out of bed he sighed. Only when his uniform was laid out on his bed did he head out of the room and to the bathroom.

Stepping under the spray Jou sighed in pleasure. It was only here where he let time slow down if only in his mind. These dreams were really beginning to get to him. Not necessarily in a bad way but in a way that wasn't pleasant; at least thins time. At other times the sheer strength of the memories didn't wait till he was asleep and then they were painful. Atemu had warned him that acceptance would cause something like this.

_& & Flashback & &_

"_What do you mean?" Jou stared down at the glimmer in his hands. _

"_It'll help you remember. You were there all those years ago, I remember now." Jou frowned. _

"_Wait. That can't be right. We all went back there and there wasn't anyone who looked like me. If I was there then where was I?" Atemu sighed and shook his head._

"_That's why I'm giving you this. So that _you _remember; but it won't be easy."_

_& & End Flashback & &_

Slowly he was remembering. What he saw in his dreams seemed to be clearing then his own memories of this life. And the visions both mesmerized and horrified him. It changed so much about his life now that he was seeing into the past. Some things were still blurry faces and names but he knew that those would be revealed to him in time. Turning off the water, Jou wrapped a towel loosely around his waist and stepped out of the bathroom. The silence in his house was comforting as he walked towards his bedroom. So much had changed since Yugi had left, he dimly wondered of what his little friend would think of him now. Jou's chuckle at Yugi's imaginary reaction faded as he stepped into his room and light hit the gold pieces sitting on his desk. Almost without thinking, Jou walked across the room.

Running a finger along one golden edge, Jou felt the power of the millennium scales like a pulse. Atemu had said that this piece was his, it had just taken the item longer to find him then it had the others for some reason. He was sure that the pharaoh knew what that reason was but if he hadn't wanted to tell then it hadn't been Jous place to push it. His eyes were drawn to the piece beside the scales. The Millennium Rod seemed to radiate an impatience that made Jou smile. Two years and it was still waiting for its master to claim it. Kaiba was such a prick but something told him that he couldn't hold out much longer.

Turning away from the items Jou stared at the uniform he had on the bed. Two years ago the sight of such an outfit in his room would have disgusted him now the memory of his childish hate made him want to laugh. Once in it, Jou brushed at the KC logo on the collar. What would Yugi think if he was to see him now, working for Kaiba. He chuckled again turning back to the items. Picking up his scales with an ease that had taken him years to develop, he tapped into the pool of magic that the item gave him access to and watched at the golden set shrunk in size. Smiling at his work he place the miniature scales on the fine chain that he bought for them then slipped the millennium rod into his tailored pocket before stepping out of the house and locking the door behind him.

This whole shadow magic thing he was taking slowly. With no one really around to teach it to him he was using the instructions of a blurry faced teacher in his dreams and his own instincts. This is how it had been for a while now and on the Ishtars last visit Ishizu had described his style as one she had ever quite seen before. He slipped into his car and set off to the office. Not too long later he saw the looming building that was Kaiba Corp. and, like all times before, the sight of it brought back the memories of the time that Kaiba had helped him the most. He had been shocked and hurt when Yugi had left without warning and only wanted to find his best friend.

Then his father had died.

It had been a case of alcohol poisoning that had done it but that hadn't been much of a surprise. Though not the best father in the world he had loved his old man. And for his son he had tried to get over the alcohol but sadly the alcohol had beaten him. For Jou it had been a double blow and he just had a meltdown. He parked in his usual spot and got out of the car. He couldn't really remember the weeks after Grandpas funeral he had just lost it. The clearest thing from that time was Kaiba in his face pounding on him and telling him that he was no longer a person willing to call himself Yugi's friend. He had fought back but every word that the CEO had said struck home. What had really got to him was when Kaiba had asked him if he was becoming the person that he wanted Yugi to meet when he returned. Under those blue eyes that seemed to see all of his secrets Jou broke down telling his declared enemy everything he had been holding in.

'_Shh. Stupid Mutt. I promised Yugi that I would take care of all of you.'_ He chuckled under his breath as he got off the empty elevator; all the people that had filled it slowly disappearing long before it reached the top floor. Now here he was. After months of protesting working for one of the largest gaming companies in world. He nodded to the secretary in the reception. She nodded back not bothering to stop him or warn her boss of his arrival. Here working for a boss with one of the biggest egos in the world. He threw the door to the head honchos office, a large grin on his face.

"Good Morning! You miss me?' His grinned widened as Kaibas lifted his head from his work to glare at him already annoyed. The rod in his pocket stood at attention so to speak. Today was going to be a great day.

* * *

So what do you think. Yeah we'll get to the Harry Potter world eventually… I promise?

A few shout outs.

**xDarklightx: **Three words but I was so happy. Glad that you liked it.

**Ning Jun: **I know it was so sad! I really tried not to but it had to happen. He will be missed though.

Well that's it for this chapter tell me what you think. I'll try to get another chapter out before school starts ok. 


	3. Chapter 2

Glad to see even a few people like my work. Hey if no one reviews then I can never know. Ah well I'll stop yapping for you.

Disclaimer: I don't own nothing…. Sadly

A/N: There will be yaoi in this fic – It won;t really be the focus but I feel that I have to let people know (maybe I should have mentioned this earlier.) I just can't imagine the YGO cast with anyone else… lol.

Ok now I'm done. On with the show.

**The Darkest Magic**

**Tifa Strifeheart **

**Chapter Two**

Suppressing a groan Seto Kaiba straightened and glared at the annoyance that just stepped into his office. Katsuya Jonouchi had been a thorn in his side since the day that he had met him and had only become more so in the years that they had known one another. The years and Yugi's disappearance had mellowed Jou out in his opinion, not enough to make him less annoying but enough to just make him bearable. "What are you doing here?" He watched as his former classmate plopped down on onto one of the two chairs that were on the opposite his large wooden desk. The mongrel grinned even wider.

"Reporting for duty!" He rolled his eyes. He had no idea when this chumminess began and he had no idea how he was supposed to put a stop to it. Sometimes he wished that he hadn't been the one to have given the blonde a wakeup call – he wouldn't be forced to deal with him now. But that was the responsibility that Yugi and Yami had dumped into his lap and his pride wouldn't let him drop it. He had been the last to see either of the two and that settled uncomfortably with him. If he didn't know better he would have thought that the other two had planned this, waiting just out of sight till the moment that he dropped the ball and let one of their friends down. Just thinking about it had him turning to his computer, with a few clicks on a secure online database that he himself had created, he checked the status of all those that were on it. "Click that one!" Way to used to Jou for his own good, Kaiba didn't flinch at the sudden voice at the side of his head. No matter how many times he told the other not to lean over his shoulder the idiot never got the message. Sighing he clicked the profile the blond had pointed out.

"Are you happy now Mutt?"

"Aww… Anzu only came second. I was sure she was going to beat everyone." Jou straightened then made his way back to his seat. "How's Honda doing by the way?" Rolling his eyes Kaiba hit a few keys.

"He past the pre-examination; the years finals are coming up." Jou sat down in his chair again with a long whistle.

"Wow, I didn't know that the guy was so smart. Honda a doctor; to think that he had it in him all this time." Kaiba just snorted. Jou gave him a look. "You know Moneybags, some people, myself included, would find you watching my friends a bit weird. And not weird in the good way. He placed his hands on the back of his head and began to rock the expensive chair on its hind legs, it was only a few inches and it was that fact alone that kept Kaiba from barking at him to stop. "I mean you had a program written up for spying and everything. You sure you haven't done some stalking in your time."

"What the hell makes you think that I care enough to spy on you and your little friends?"Letting go of his head Jou shrugged elaborately.

"I don't know Kaiba. Maybe you have a-" Kaiba frowned at the boy across from him after a few seconds. Not only had the blonds words frozen mid sentence but Jou was frozen mid-movement as well. His eyes were half closed with arms somewhat a part and his mouth slightly open. It was as if someone had had pressed pause on a video tape. His frown deepened and he slowly began to rise. Something was wrong, Jou's chest wasn't moving.

"Jou…" As if his name was a trigger, Jou let out a cry and Kaiba saw his hands clutch his head seconds before the chair went toppling over backwards spilling it occupant onto the carpeted floor. In no time Kaiba was around the desk and kneeling beside a shaking Jou. Afraid for hurting the other man, Kaiba watched as Jou convulsed violently on the ground, hands gripping the hair on his head as if he intended to pull it out and crying out in pain. There was a knock on his down and before he could say anything his secretary had popped her head in the doorway.

"Sir, is anything the matte-" Her eyes widened as she saw Jou and for once Kaiba forgot to bark at her for entering his office without permission.

"Call my doctor, immediately!" She nodded and scurried out of the room. When his eyes returned back to Jou, the man's convulsions had gotten worse. Knowing he had to do something, Kaiba reached out and grabbed Jou forearms. He didn't even get the chance to think that it was a mistake before his senses were overcome with heat and his office melted away. Before his eyes were the pyramids, and the visions flashed through places he had never been but knew well, people he had never met but looked familiar. He could feel the hot Egyptian sun burn his skin and the harsh winds dry his tongue.

As suddenly as it all started it was over and he was panting on the floor of his office eyes staring at Jou who had now calmed down and seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Groaning he pulled himself onto his knees still watching Jouonchi and if was for this reason that he saw Jou's necklace. A top two buttons of his dress shirt had somehow come undone in the commotion and nestled there in the hollow of his collar bone was a miniature golden set of scales. There was no mistaking the millennium item. He had only seen this item a handful of times and much larger but there was no mistaking it. It was the millennium scales, but why the hell had Yami given them to Jou? He reached out to touch them when a flash of gold at a distance caught his eye. Reluctantly he turned his head and there it was; the millennium rod seemed to be calling out to him. It was lying a few feet from the top of Jou's head and even as he slowly approached it he remembered the last time he had seen it.

_& & Flashback & & _

"_What?" Across the room Yami raised an eyebrow at him his smirk only getting wider._

"_The gods would like to return this to you." Out of the sack he pulled out what was undoubtedly the millennium rod. With a twirl the pharaoh held out the items hilt to him. Kaiba didn't even have to glance at his little brothers amazed look instead he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back into his chair. _

"_And what the hell makes your gods think that that _thing_ belongs to me?" Yami frowned._

"_It has always been yours." He was shaking his head before the other finished. Everyone else in the room was watching their interaction and this was something he would not back down from. _

"_It's not mine and I don't want it." Yami opened his mouth then stopped. He cocked his head for a second as if listening to something none of them could here then with a sigh he shook his head. _

"_If that is how you are going to be Kaiba then fine." With that he slipped the item back into the bag with all the others._

_& & End Flashback & &_

That had been the last time he had seen the item. He stared at the gold in his hands trying to deny the feeling of relief he felt at just holding it. What was Jou doing with it? How long had the Mutt been carrying it around with him and why? This thing had haunted his dreams for months now. In them he saw this item held by a man that was him and not him. Flashes of that person's life had been melting into his own memories to the point that he had to concentrate in order to distinguish those from his own. With the Rod in his hands it felt like he was coming back to a home that he had never had. And that was how the doctor found him; sitting on the carpeted floor beside Jou's prone form staring at the rod that he refused to claim as his own and yet knew belonged to no other.

* * *

_Ryou watched with growing happiness as his little sister took her first step. The feeling of happiness was ruined slightly by sadness. Now that his sister could walk she would soon be able to take on the sands of Egypt all by herself. Right then and there he decided that he would become stronger so his sister could always come to him. Relived now he ran to his sisters side and only grinned wider when she smiled up at him when he took her little hand. Slowly he led around his most important treasure. He would always be strong for her. Always… _

Ryous blinked as he swan back into consciousness slowly he placed a hand on his eyes to block out the afternoon sun. Another one of Bakura's memories. Reliving parts of Bakuras like had become less and less frequent rather now the knowledge was in his mind whenever he wished to know. It was a result of having the core of Bakuras memories in his soul for so long. Even now that it was back in Bakuras soul room it still affected him and that was probably the reason behind their closeness; Ryou understood the other now. Sure Bakura still scared the crap out of him at times…

"Stupid kid's going to destroy everything if he keeps that up." Ryou turned on the couch to stare at Bakura who was sitting on one of the other living room chairs.

"Has he sent Domino to the Shadow Realm yet?" Ryou had felt the pulse of shadow magic; it had been what had woken him up.

"That's what you say now. And when that mutt plunges that infernal city into the shadows then you'll be sorry." Ryou just sighed as he watched his other. There was a long moment of silence.

"Well, you could always teach him, you did teach me."

"That's different." Ryou raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" Bakura gave Ryou that seemed to shout how stupid he was before sighing.

"Yes, oh. I could teach you the Ring because I know it and you can use it. Each item manipulates the Shadow Realm in its own way even if the results are the same. You may be able to use some of the skills of another item but there is a reason why each is destined to a person." He shook his head. "Then there are abominations like Malik who can prostitute themselves to all the items." Ryou frowned as he pulled himself up into a sitting position. "That's why that stupid pharaoh never bothered with the other items.

"The Jou has to learn how to use the scales by himself?" Bakuras frown deepened.

"He hasn't destroyed the world yet. Look, as far as I know only one item that can mimic, to an extent, the properties of another item and the person that is destined to wield it can instruct others on item use." He smirked then. "Ironic that it belongs to a High Priest that has his head so far up the self denying ass that he's as good as useless."

"You mean Seto." Baakura nodded and Ryou whistled.

"He did instruct the Pharaoh back then." He leaned back in his chair uncaringly. "Whatever. Now that the Mutt has the scales he's going to have to face who he really is whether he likes it or not." His curiosity only spiked even more but by the smug look on Bakuras face he was going to have to beg. A matching smirk came to his face. A lot had changed in these past few years; they'd see who would be begging at the end of the day.

* * *

Night had long ago fallen in the little city and the majority of the populace was asleep. Being the small town that it was it was the movie theatre that was the last to close at 11 p.m., with nothing to do teenagers were inside wither in their own home or those of friends. Children had long ago been sent to bed and the last of the adults was buckling down for the night. As always by the wee hours of the morning the town resembled that of a ghost town only porch light giving a dim appearance of life. The streets were silent and the meagre police force sent out an officer once in hour in one of the town's three police cars. Brian Stuntly was a duty tonight. In his 15 years on the force the most action he had seen was the robbing of the Trentons home a few years back and they had caught the kids that just wanted to get back at their teacher. That was why he sat up at the person he saw sulking into an ally. He stopped the car and glanced at the clock on his way out. Four thirty-four in the morning; nobody was out at this time not in this city at least.

In the ally he could clearly distinguish the sound of feet slowly walking away from him. He frowned, if it was a thief wouldn't they be running or walking fast or something. His frown deepened as he pulled out his night stick from his belt and took pursuit at a quick walk in the back of his mind he tried to recall the last time he has used the long object. The footsteps didn't get any faster and the fact started to get on his nerves. Lord help the kid when he found him. Suddenly the footsteps stopped and Brain picked up the pace; he wasn't about to lose whoever it was parading around in his city. He had to keep himself from crying out in triumph at the alight that spilled around the corner ahead. For a moment he wondered what kind of flash light was that cold but mentally shrugged it off as he whipped around the sharp corner, words about hands in the air already bubbling to his lips.

Brian never got the chance to speak.

* * *

The nervous man watched the body fall to the ground with a dull thud. He didn't know what scared him more; this apparition that had appeared and killed the man without even appearing to notice that the muggle was there at all or his master that was watching events through his eyes now. He felt his masters presence within him shift. The apparition spoke. Its words were hypnotising to him in a language that he did not understand yet even though his ears didn't understand what it said a voice that for once wasn't his masters whispered into his mind.

'_In charge – you are not. I will speak to the one in charge. Your master.' _The whispers sent shivers down his spine. Without hesitating he turned his back on the apparition not knowing if this was scarier then facing it. Above his head he felt his usual turban shift of its own accord and then fall off his head to the ground. The appearance of his master always seemed to make the temperature colder than it had to be and he shivered. _'You are the master.' _The voice spoke into his mind and his master listened into his thoughts. He was hardly worthy to share a mind with his master he never heard his lords thoughts... he wasn't sure that he wanted to.

"Yes. I am the one." His master's voice held his letters till his speech had a hiss the quality of a snake's. His master's resemblance to a serpent never ceased to frighten him – his master was as cold and deadly as any snake.

'_You are… incomplete.' _He felt his Masters anger flare and had to crush the urge to cower that came over him.

"Yes. My enemies seek to destroy me. They have failed but have left me broken." There was silence that went on for a long time to him, not being able to see the creature behind him any longer only made it worse.

'_Yes. Enemies. Even blood can betray. But blood they always remain."_ From a place separate from his mind and somehow apart of it at the same time, he felt his master flinch at the words, his separated mind radiating bitterness. He only barley wondered what his master could possibly been thinking off. As soon as the thought appeared he crushed it, trying to sense if his master had noticed. After a moment he decided that his master was not paying him any attention but then he could never know when his master's retribution would come.

"And it is because of these enemies that I have summoned you here – to destroy my enemies." The being was silent and that made him twitch. He had never known anything to leave his masters request unanswered.

"_There are always enemies that need to be destroyed." _For a moment he felt his Lords anticipation.

"Then we can assist one another. With your power and my knowledge of this world together we can destroy both of our enemies."

"_The world has changed – you will make it easier. You bring enemies to me I will lend you strength."_ The orb that the others had brought to them glowed golden at his feet. He almost flinched away from it – the thing had freaked him out from the moment he had seen it. It resembled an eye to be truthful. Slowly it rose from the ground and disappeared behind him._"An incomplete ally is not one that I will accept. For now I will complete you." _There was sudden flash. _"This is only temporary, power only extends so far."_ The light became blinding before he blacked out.

* * *

They watched as the two-human stared to walk away. They had faded to a point to that human eyes could not see him and now they watched and planned. The darker of the two they felt would be useful. There was a hunger inside of that one that they could use yet something would have to be done to complete the dark one. They felt the power of the item go with the two-human. The shadows were weak as of now – they had no way of claiming what was theirs at this time. Soon their strength would grow and then they would be able to take back all that was there's.

Their mind flashed to a time when there was no 'them' but an 'I' – but that time was long past. Now they had returned and they would destroy those that were left behind; those that had banished their parts to the darkness. Slowly they began to fade out of this world and back into the one that they had existed in for so long. Soon they would rule both the shadows and the world of light. And then only the deserving will rule by their side.

* * *

Voldemort flexed 'his' fingers. He had no knowledge of what that thing had done but he had never felt this alive since that day almost eleven years ago. A snake like expression broke out on his followers face. He didn't know what kind of power that the creature had but he knew that he wanted it. With that type of dark power he couldn't begin to imagine the things that he could do with it.

He frowned suddenly as he felt his strength began to flag. He could feel his minions mind begin to stir. The being had told him that it was only temporary – he would have to conserve his strength. He receded back into the mind of the body he inhabited settling back into his unconscious lull the last thing he bothered to noticed was the foolish mans confusion from his sudden black out.

End Chapter Two

* * *

Sorry that that took so long. I actually suffered from writers block till the end of summer then school slapped me and so yeah. Don't really expect quick updates (you probably don't anyways lol) If a lot of people like it – and actually let me know – I'll try to make time, but if no one is really anxiously waiting I won't be in much of a hurry. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Kudos

Tifa


	4. Chapter 3

Not many people are reviewing this story. Please do or I wonder how long my interest in this story will last...

Constructive criticism is always a welcome.

A quick note:

_/ "" /_ - Yami to Hikari

_/ ""/ _Hikari to Yami

Everyone in Domino speaks Japanese so I will not be having random Japanese words in my text unless it is something like 'yami' or 'aibou' – you know like a name something that justifies speaking n Japanese. When the HP crew finally show up I will make the speech distinction... if I remember.

I just love you all that actually review!

**Ning Jun – **I actually hate it when it turns out that everyone existed in Ancient Egypt. Trust me that isn't what's happening here. I just needed a reason to give Jou the scales and powers, there's a whole explanation behind it but I don't know how much of it will get into this story. That said I could put it all in just for the heck of it lol. Let me know if anyone's getting OC – God forbid that happening.

**Kris Phantom **– Of course he has the Rod! And don't worry Jou's tough. Lol. Those two? Together?... Like I could have it any other way? But that's not the point of this story! XD

**The Darkest Magic**

**Chapter 3**

**Tifa Strifeheart**

With a gasp his eyes snapped open, he had no idea where in the world he was but Jou did know that it wasn't here that he needed to be. With more effort than he was expecting, Jou pulled himself into a sitting position. He stared around semi-franticly trying to place where exactly he was. After a few moments he was able to place the somewhat comfortable bed, the stark walls and the sadly familiar layout. He had been in the hospital so often that he should have recognized it by now. Suddenly he shook his head. There were more pressing matters.

A glint of gold caught his eyes. On one of the three chairs that stood against the wall was the scales still in their necklace form laying on top of a pile of folded cloths that he could only guess were his. Slowly he made his way off the bed and across the room. As soon his fingers touched the scales the feeling of anxiousness that had woken him up and dragged him across the room intensified a hundred times over. Something was so wrong. Something was _very_ wrong and he had to stop it somehow. Franticly he rushed into his clothing – pretty sure that he wasn't supposed to crush the heel of those classy shoes the way that he did with his heel – and sped out of the hospital room. He was running out of time, the glowing scales in his fisted hand seemed to be burning him in a way that wasn't physical as if urging him to hurry. So blinded by his urgency, Jou hardly saw the people that jumped out of his way left and right and so expectedly he didn't notice the person in his way until he had slammed into the persons chest.

The impact was so startling before he knew it Jou found himself on the tiled hallway floor with a very sore bottom. The person he had run into had a hand to his chest but luckily for him he had managed to stay on his feet. For once Kaiba looked too surprised to glare. That didn't last long however. "What the hell do you think you're doing Mutt?" Jou shook away a building headache and pulled himself to his feet.

"I don't have time for this, Kaiba." Stumbling he tried to get pass the CEO. He had almost made it and was beginning to regain his momentum when Kaiba took a hold of his wrist. He sighed with frustration. "I don't have time for this Kaiba!"

"You should be in bed, you fainted in my office this morning." Jou shook his head.

"That doesn't matter! I need to get down there!" Confusion flashed in azure eyes.

"Get down where?" Jou groaned.

"Don't you sense it? I need to help them!" The desperation in his voice must have gotten to the CEO for Kaiba let go of him and the instant that he did Jou was off. After a few feet he realized that Kaiba was following close behind him. After what had felt like an eternity of stairs jou was finally running through the lobby and burst out of the front double doors.

Standing on the side walk in the crisp night air Jou stared up and down the street. Even as the scales seemed to tug him to the left he could already feel the dread beginning to settle into his chest. He was too late. Something inside of him just knew it. As he ran, each pant becoming harder and harder, he recognized the place that the power of the item had led him; he had been here a couple of times way in the past. This was where the homeless and those that just didn't want to go home hung out on the warmer nights when they had injuries that they didn't know what to do with. During the slow hours some of the nurses would come out and tend to their wounds and sometimes had food with them. With the chill tonight he wouldn't have been surprised if he didn't see anyone there. What did surprise him when he finally rounded the corner was the single body that was leaning against the hospitals eastern wall.

With a cry he launched himself at the homeless man not caring about the tearing sound his dress pants made in protest and knowing by the stillness of the body that it was too late. The old man's jaw was slack making the scruffy beard that he wore scruffier still. His eyes were open and blank. He didn't know how he knew but he knew that this man hadn't just died. He gripped the scales in his hand tighter, they had finally stopped glowing, and the heat that had been lancing through him had finally faded. Why had it brought him here if there had been nothing he could have done? Maybe if he had been faster... He hung his head trying to deny the tears that burned the back of his eyes. How was he supposed to fix this? It was the sudden intrusion of Kaibas voice behind him that pulled him out of his dark musings. He listened as the CEO called for emergency aid. He only chose to speak once the CEO had hung up.

"It's useless you know." Behind him Kaiba was silent. "This is what the scales were trying to tell me." He turned his head away from the man to look up at Kaiba. "He's gone." He gestured at the body. "Just touch him." Jou wasn't able to figure out the expression that appeared on Kaibas face but for once the brunette didn't argue with him. He got down on one knee beside Jou and reached out to touch the body. With a low hiss the CEO pulled his hand back almost as soon as flesh touched fabric. Jou nodded sadly at the disgusted and slightly sick look on Kaibas face.

"What was-" Jou reached out and touched the man's coat. The man's body was still warm but it wasn't that that had his stomach turning. There was a cold – an emptiness – that seemed to tug at him from his very core. It complete itself; to be one once again. To relate that to a physical feeling – it felt like the coolest ice was shooting tiny spikes through is arm and into his chest. He pulled his hand back, slower then Kaiba had with as much – if not more – relief as the CEO.

"He's empty. That's how the body feels when the soul has been taken from it. I saw it in my dream. Nothing can help him now. Death would have been so much kinder." Kaiba just stared at him and Jou ignored the slight concern in his face.

"Well? What should we do?" Jou shook his head again his eyes falling on the man again. He didn't know why this hurt him so much. He had seen so much in his years but...

"There's nothing we _can_ do." This, he realised, must be what it felt like when someone's heart broke.

* * *

He couldn't catch his breath but for the life of him he wouldn't stop running. The way Bakura had acted had just been to strange, even for a person with a background like his. His yami had been mid-sentence, something about what he wanted for dinner, when he had froze and the suddenly bolted out of the room. When Ryou had tried to probe his yami's mind he had found such a jumble of thoughts. The only clear thing that he had been able to get was the sense of urgency. Now he was left pushing past the evening crowds apologizing for both his and his yami's rudeness.

Turning around the corner he slowed to a stop. Bakura was standing partway down the ally. His back was rigid and he seemed to radiate malice as he stared down at something on the ground. Ryou followed the others gaze and gasped at the body that lay there. Without thought, Ryou moved to the body and knelt down on both knees. Instinctively, he reached out to check for a pulse. When his fingers touched flesh it was all he could do _not _to cry out. For in instant his mind blanked and when his vision returned Bakura was holding his kneeling form over the woman's body. It took him a moment to realise that he was shivering.

"She's gone. Her soul is gone. There's nothing left!" He could feel the desperation in his own voice and couldn't for the life of him do anything about it. Above him he felt Bakura nod.

"Yes. Her soul has been taken. And she is not the first." Bakura sighed and Ryou's shiver only became worse. "I have felt tiny bursts of shadow magic throughout London for some time now... this is the only one that has been close enough to investigate. It is exactly as I thought."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He felt Bakura shook his head. In his desperation, Ryou tore himself out of Bakuras hands and attempted to stand across from him. "Why-why didn't you let me know what was happening?" He couldn't stop the shaking. The cold wouldn't go away! How could a body be so cold! It was like a hole! No one deserved something like this to happen to them – it was just so wrong! He wrapped his hands around his middle in a futile attempt to keep the cold out but it was no use. The chill had leaked inside of him and was spreading. In front Bakura sighed and crossed his arms.

"_This_ is why I didn't want you to know." Slowly he walked across the ally and before Ryou could protest Bakura took his face in his hands. He felt the others magic crash into him and push away the cold with the darkness; heat from a dark flame. He leaned into the warmth allowing it to drive away from the chill that had gotten inside of him. "You are a _hikari _it is more than just being the lighter half of our shared soul. It means to be in essence the lighter part of what all souls are." He let go and Ryou followed his hands not hesitating to lean on the others chest as his heart rate began to return to normal. After all these years he was still as weak as he had ever been. "That's not true and you know it." Bakuras arms stayed at his sides. "As a light you have the potential to become very powerful. You are simply more sensitive." Bakura placed his arms on his fore arms and gently pulled him away, Ryou allowed himself to be pulled away from his Yami, the cold finally gone. Bakura turned to look at the body.

"Can you feel the magic lingering in the air?" Ryou paused for a long moment taking slow deep breaths. He felt flickers and if he concentrated he could sense something very familiar and at the same time something very... different.

"I can." Before he opened his eyes he felt Bakura nod. When he opened them again, Bakura's back was rigid once again. Without thinking Ryou stepped forward and placed a hand on his yami's back. "There's something that is not shadow magic here. It feels... unnatural." Bakura shook his head.

"Dumb hikari."

"So what do we do now?" Bakura turned to face him and crossed his arms.

"None of the item holders would do this. So we'll have to go to the source." Ryou frowned.

"The source." Bakura smirked.

"Say we give the Ishtals a long over due visit.

* * *

"They are too close to the innocent this time." Beside him Yugi nodded as they ran.

"Uh huh. Non-magic users shouldn't be drawn into this." Through the link Yami felt his abiou's determination. He agreed with his light, these _people _could not be trusted, not after what they had been doing to people. He still didn't understand how they had been able to get their hands onto shadow magic but the things they had been doing were wrong. Even in the time of his reign none of the royal court had done something so cruel as to rip a person's soul from their body. Not even Seth had done such a thing even though all would have agreed that he had more than due reason to.

_/Aibou. There./_ Beside him Yugi nodded and for a second Yami felt a twinge of pride. His Aibou had grown up so much. Mentally he shook his head and they finally reached the point where town met wood, this wasn't the time to be thinking of those things. He halted as shouting finally reached his ears. Beside him Yugi did as well. Waving a sign to be quite at Yugi, Yami silently pushed through the wood one hand moving to hover around the deck at his waist. Through the mind like he felt Yugi doing almost the exact same thing; he would have smiled if they weren't right here right now. After what seemed like forever the trees began divided and a clearing began to came into view.

"You won't get away with this." The single woman was standing with her back towards himself and Yugi a stick – which they had learned was a 'wand' – clutched tightly in her right hand, her left one clutching at he thigh. Around her lay the bodies of her fallen comrades the truth in that obvious in the fact that all the others standing were draped in those black cloaks that he had begun to detest. Through the link he felt Yugi still at the sight of them. One of the cloaked guys had their hood down. He was a thin man his matted hair speaking of how unimportant hygiene was to him. He was standing in front of all his cloaked companions smirking at the woman.

"Of course we will. The ministry doesn't even believe what you have to say." His laugh was cruel. "Even if you survived this, they would probably just have you locked up at Mungo's for the rest of your pathetic life!"

_/We should help her./ _Yami nodded and, as one, they began to rise.

"But, you won't be leaving here alive." Before either of them could think jets of sparks collided into the woman's body from the six still hooded figures. Her cry was drowned out by Yugi beside him. Yugi launched himself out from the bushes light sparkling at his fingers tips. With a curse in hieratic, Yami pushed through the last trees and into the clearing as well in time to see Yugi kneeling at the woman's body. His light's hands were glowing on as they pressed against the woman's still chest. The blacked cloaked ones were starting to get over the shock of Yugi's sudden appearance and Yami opened himself to the shadow realm.

_/Yugi! It's too late for her!/_ His abiou was silent as he stood up still staring at the body. He cursed out loud as one by one the cloaked figures began to get over their surprise at their sudden appearance. _/Yugi!/_ With a growl, the man that had his hood down raised his wand and fired sparks at his abiou. Without thought his hand touched his deck holster at his waist. He felt himself open up to the shadows as a barrier materialized in front of his light just in time to deflect the sparks – whatever they were. The blast that their connection to the shield made must have jerked yugi out of his daze for his hikari put his hand on his deck for an instant – an action he did more out of habit then need – as Yami felt him open himself up to the shadow realm. Yugi's powers had become so great.

His hands began to glow again but instead of the gentle light that had encased them before now the light was cold and sparking violently. Yami came up behind his aibou he didn't have to see the black fire to know that they burned in the palm of his hands. "You'll pay for killing innocent people!" Yugi's voice was passionate and in their shared mind he saw a flash of the late Motou. Yamis resolve hardened. "These people don't deserve this! What right do you think you have to hurt people?" He waved a hand at the bodies that littered the clearing. The man who had attacked Yugi smirked.

"That's easy," The man hefted his wand. "The Dark Lord gave us the right to do his bidding." Yami's eyes narrowed.

_/There's that name again. I would really like to find this dark lord of a guy and tear him a new-/_

_/Now, now Abiou. Do you really think now is the time for that?/_

"And since we can't have anyone knowing about the Dark Lord just yet, we're going to eliminate the witness as well as the pray." Behind him his other six companions raised their gnarled sticks as well. Yugi raised his hands; arms outstretched at his sides his voice flat.

"I highly doubt that."

* * *

"Someone is using illegal magic in this area, far south of London. You are to go and quell whoever it is. An investigation team will be sent in approximately half an hour from you departure for the details and the detainees. Is that clear?" The half dozen elite wizards acknowledged their orders before leaving the room. Standing behind the commander the Minister of Magic watched the wizards file out of the room. Fudge grimaced. These things always tended to happen now and again. What he didn't understand was why he had to be here every time they did.

He sighed as the second part of the usual process began.

* * *

Yami whirled at the sudden popping noise behind them. In the few encounters that he had had with these types of people he knew that that was the sound of their entrance. Sure enough six people had appeared behind both him and Yugi. He glanced back at Yugi who was sparing with three of the cloaked men, deflecting their magic back at them. The other three were groaning where Yami had left them. He had been off to help his abiou when this ugly distraction had reared its ugly head. He growled feeling the shadow realm pulsing within him as he took in the new arrivals.

Apparently they were not with the cloaked ones but that gave him no reason to trust them. Like beget like and Yugi liked to say. He opened his mouth to speak when he was cut off by a cry from behind him. Yami turned. One of the men that he had taken to be unconscious was up on one elbow his wand was extended and the green sparks that had shot out of it were a breath away from his light. Before he could move, before he could utter a curse to himself for his utter stupidity, before he could do a thing for his abiou the sparks hit Yugi square in his chest. Yugis eyes met his and in that instant he felt the bond between them snap.

Time seemed speed back to normal as Yugi's body crashed to the ground. There was a stillness, Yami didn't know if it was the a real stillness or on just in his mind but all that mattered was the body lying still in the dirt. His mind couldn't wrap around the idea that that body was Yugi. The shadow realm pulsed stronger then before but it didn't matter. All that mattered was the emptiness of his mind. All that mattered was Yugi and what had happened to him. And what they had done to him. He felt his control snap and the shadows swell... but none of that mattered. Only Yugi.

His world went black.

* * *

So what do you think? Please review...


	5. Chapter 4

Don't hate me. I know that it's been so long sigh - I'm sorry. Thanks to all you beautiful people who reviewed it really means a lot to know that you like it and I love reader input!

**Jerex:** I'm glad that you liked it I was actually having some doubts about this story so it's really reassuring.

**YamiIcepath: **Yugi is a fun character. My biggest problem with him was in the prologue lol, I may rewrite that.

**Kris Phantom: **I'm sorry that it's been so long *prostrates* The idea of Yami loosing in *shivers* he is awesome! Anybody can over react when their in grief and Yami has an excuse, right? Right? Losing control is _so _Yami don't worry you don't have to risk you life… or that pink shirt of yours. Lol

**misssun 1: **I had to switch to the Minister of Magic (can't for the life of me remember his name right now) sending in the troops. And the fact that he didn't really want to have to deal with what was happening. That's all. Then we switch back in to our loveable pharaohs view. Sorry if that was complicated and thanks for telling me. I'll do my best to make things clearer. I really appreciate the fact that you told me there was a problem. ^_^

**Ning Jun:** Yugi must have powers! I mean he wasn't on hiatus for so long doing nothing. Don't worry were not going to get half way through and find out Harry Potter was a palace slave and Dumbledore was a priest of Ra back in ancient Egypt. Heh heh. Thank you for the review! I love re-reading it. Sorry it has taken me so long to review… I have no excuses.

Oh just so everyone knows, I switch between Yami and Atemu depending on who's talking and in what context. That is all.

**The Darkest Magic**

**Tifa Strifeheart **

**Chapter Four**

"Now you're going to tell me what the hell is going on with you?" Jounouchi looked up into Kaiba's ticked off face. He had stayed in the hospital for one night and had been released this morning. Kaiba had surprisingly been there personally to give him a ride home. He had thought that it was weird; the CEO had barely left his side since he had woken up. Looking at the determined set of his brow he now understood why. Jounouchi settled down on his bed with a sigh and gesture Kaiba to sit down. He didn't - as expected; instead the brunette just crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame. Jounouchi sighed again and dragged a hand through his shoulder length hair. "Well?" He leaned over with his elbows on his knees. There was no point in trying to lie, even he knew that.

"It's… difficult… to explain." There was an irritated sound above him. He didn't bother to look up.

"Try me." Jou looked up then Kaiba's eyes were unrelenting; with yet another sigh he stood up and began to pace, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He didn't really understand all that was happening to him. He understood what was happening with his memories but the pain of recalling them wasn't the only thing that was happening to him. At least, it couldn't explain all that was happening.

"I… Ever since I got the Millennium Scales I've been having these… flashbacks." He dragged a hand through his hair again in an attempt to ease some of the tension that was strumming through him. Kaiba didn't say anything. "They're-they're flashbacks of my past. I see myself but in a different place and time."

"If you dare say something about Egypt-" Jounouchi stopped and turned to face Kaiba.

"That's just it!" Both his hands ended up in his hair. "I see myself in all these places I've never been but seem so familiar! Having conversations with people that I have never met, talking about things that I didn't even know existed." It had been getting to him; all these memories and no idea what they were all supposed to mean. And there was no one left to talk to about what was happening to him and it was beginning to drive him up the wall. His grip in his hair tightened. "It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the pain…"

"Pain? Is that what you call what happened in my office?" He didn't bother to look up.

"Usually, the memories come at night, while I sleep. They don't hurt then and their gone before I wake up. But sometimes, rarely, they come while I'm awake." He heard his voice getting smaller but the remembrance of the pain made the fact irrelevant. He pulled at his hair a little harder; it helped dim the memories. "In-in your office they hit me. Harder than usual; I've never passed out from them before. Not like this…"

"Stop that." Jounouchi ignored him.

"I don't know what to do. I don't understand." Hands were suddenly on his squeezing them. Jounouchi's grip loosened and he looked up. Kaiba was giving him a stern look one he had seen him give Mokuba.

"Stop that." Kaiba pulled his hands down before letting go. "Why now? Why is it getting worse now?" Jounouchi shook his head.

"I don't know." He blinked, memories fading. "I've had the Rod for two years now. It was acting up today…" Kaiba's face darkened.

"Why the hell have you been hanging on to that thing?" It was too much, especially coming from this man.

"I've been holding on to it for you!" His shout erupted from it and with it all the energy that he had. Tiredly he slumped down onto the bed, just noting the surprise in his boss's eyes before putting his head in his hands. "I've hung on to it all this time because of you." He sighed and lifted his head with a humourless chuckle. "It's been tough. I don't know how Shadi was able to do it for all that time. Carrying around two items all that time… The resonance is terrible." Across the room Kaiba rolled his eyes.

"They got you spouting that voodoo garbage too, huh."Jounouchi gave him a dry look.

"After all you've seen you we both know we've made a believer outta you." He released a breath and sat up. For some reason Kaibas disbelief made him feel better; made him want to laugh. The laughter died when, out of the pocket of his trench coat, Kaiba pulled out the Millennium Rod. His blue eyes were so intense it seemed as if he wanted melt it with his gaze alone. Jounouchi stood up and walked over to him, the CEO seemed to be entranced by the item the anger in his eyes was clear. He stopped a few steps away from Kaiba. "You can feel it can't you?" Kaiba looked up and their eyes met. "You can feel it calling out to you can't you?"

"Take it." Jounouchi raised his hands in surrender and backed away.

"No way! Now that you have it, you've gotta keep it." He dropped his hands. "I have enough troubles without that thing as it is." Kaiba continued to stare at him and he couldn't help grinning his good mood returning. With renewed vigour he patted Kaiba on the back and grinned right into his glare. "Now that you got it I could give you some pointers you know. My first piece of advice, flashbacks are not only sudden, they're a bitch to deal with. Just pray that they come when you're asleep." Kaiba's eyes narrowed. His grin was trying to split his face in half. Finally the Rod was where it belonged.

* * *

Ryou couldn't say that he wasn't the type to get angry; in fact he got angry quite often to be truthful, just because he didn't show that he was angry didn't mean that he wasn't. Bakura was really the only one who could tell when he was really losing his temper, which was probably the reason why he kept glancing at him from where he stood by the room's only window. Ryou was sitting upright on the small living rooms only couch and on the other side of the small center table Malik Ishtar sat on the living room chair Marik draped over the chairs back. Almost identical pairs of violet eyes stared at him but for once he wasn't feeling nervous about it. He wasn't thinking straight enough for it to bother him. Bakura must have sensed that he wasn't about to speak anymore soon because he sighed and pushed off the wall coming back to the conversation at hand.

"When?" Both sets of Ishtar eyes turned away from him to look at his darker half.

"I don't know… four months after they disappeared, I think." Marik shrugged. "It wasn't as if they stayed long." Malik brushed a strand of hair out of his face.

"They took the scrolls and left. They were here a week tops-"

"That's not the point!" Ryous mouth clicked with the speed with which he closed it. Now all eyes in the room were on him. His hands clenched and unclenched in his lap. Both Yugi and Yami had come to Egypt and neither of the Ishtars had thought that it was important enough to let their friends know about it. All of them had been so lost when they had found out what had happened. It had been Kaiba that had pulled the group back into a semi-balance of normal. But, finding out that the Ishtars had known and hadn't said a word to any of them. "That's not the point…" Across the Table Malik sighed running a hand through his sandy hair.

"Look Ryou it's not like that. Yugi and Yami came to collect the sacred scriptures. We asked them what was going on but they refused to tell us anything. The pharaoh told us not to say anything to any of you." Ryou looked up from his hands at this. Malik nodded at the obvious confusion on his face. "'Don't let them know that we were here. It will do no good for them to come after us.' His words exactly. Neither of them would tell us where they were going though. There were gone a few days later." Bakura crossed the room and plopped down on the seat next to him. Without much thought Ryou rested his head on Bakuras shoulder and closed his eyes. Why wouldn't Yami and Yugi want them to follow them? What could they possibly be running from that took them so far away from the people who loved them? Wouldn't they, above all others, understand their grief over Sugoroku? Then why didn't he turn to them after what they had all been through together? He sighed quietly opening his eyes. The others were just staring all seemed to be lost in their thoughts the way that Ryou himself was. Who would have ever thought that thinking of Yugi would have ever been so depressing. He blinked and the world froze.

He wasn't the only one; across the room he saw Maliks eyes widened in shock as the feeling crashed into Ryou. Above Malik, Marik's eyes narrowed and beside him, he felt Bakura stiffen as the feeling within him changed. He frowned, dimly surprised that his face hadn't frozen right along with everything else. He didn't recognize what he was feeling; the only way he could have described it was when a person stretched a rubber band to the breaking point and it suddenly snapped between their fingers. With a gasp he was on his feet not even realizing that he had moved. He felt it, inside he felt him. Yugi, there was something wrong with Yugi. His legs couldn't hold him up any more. Yugi was hurt.

Suddenly the feeling was gone and the world sped back up to speed. Bakura was suddenly by his side trying to calm him down and it was only then that he realised that he was sobbing. "What the hell was that?" Maliks voice was sounded as shaken up and he felt. "It felt-" There was a sound of someone swallowing. "It felt like Yugi…" There was a snort.

"It was Yugi alright." Ryou looked up and Marik just nodded his head harshly. "Something must have happened if the puzzle called out to the other items like that; something serious."

"The-the items can do that?" Marik nodded.

"Yeah but I'm no expert on the items." He nodded towards Bakura. "You should ask him." Ryou turned to his yami. Bakura was staring at the wall his eyes unfocused.

"Can-can they do that?" Bakura shook his hair.

"Yes. Stupid Pharaoh." Ryou stared at him.

"They've done it before, haven't they? Haven't they?" Bakura nodded.

"When I killed the priest for The Ring. That was how the Pharaohs' priests knew so quickly." Ryou hung his head.

"So you mean he's-"

"I don't know." There was a long silence. After what felt like days Ryou sighed.

"What do we do?" Bakura stood up and held a hand out to him. Without hesitating he took the offered hand brushing away the stray tears on his face. He turned to look at the two blondes brushing at his knees "What are we going to do?" Malik sighed and stood up.

"Well we're going to stay here and find out what exactly it was that the pharaoh and his light came for. Maybe that will tell us why." Ryou opened his mouth to protest but Bakura cut him off.

"You do that. We caught of trace of them in Europe a few weeks back."

"And you didn't tell _us_?"

"But the trail went cold before we could even begin to track it." Bakura pointed stared at Malik who just grinned back apologetically. Bakura turned to Ryou. "Just hope that useless Pharaoh didn't do something stupid." Ryou nodded silently praying that his friends were alright.

* * *

He didn't know where he was. He didn't know who he was! If he had a body he would have cried out. But he didn't have a body. He didn't even know why he would need a body. What use would a body be in a world full of nothing? Nothing. Not even a blackness to stare at. There was nothing around him. There was nothing in him. Nothing at all… nothing but a glimmer. A glimmer that he latched onto with everything that he was; with everything that he could ever be. It was a single word: Yami… He wanted to scream it. Scream it and pray that it could banish the nothingness. So that's what he did.

* * *

The shadows swelled at the sound of their _Other_ Masters call. It was a summon that they could not answer yet could not ignore. As a united mind of frayed and jagged parts the shadows swelled against the boundaries of reality using the body of their Other Master as a conductor to their power. Slowly they tore through the cracks in the fragile dimension and into the body of their master. They pooled their energy into that body and forced themselves to form into something physical, something that could be of what little use they could afford. This would surly destroy the Master if done for too long, their Master's bodies were always fragile, but they were to fulfill their Master's wish and this was their Master's wish. Once all could do had been done they slipped away back into the corners of their realm leaving behind them a single consciousness that could pull through the cracks. As soon as they had come they had gone and in their wake they left a silent dripping of a substance that looked a lot like ink; that is to say if ink could suck the color out of the immediate place around him.

Only when the ink had pooled completely on to the floor and it could no longer feel the others of itself did it finally pull itself together and into its true physical form. It had been a long while since it had been in this realm in this way; with no outside aid or link to a Master's mind. It took a while to for it to finally solidify and when it did he blinked with a tiny 'kweh.' With large yellow eyes he looked around himself sensing both with his eyes and with his consciousness the strange magic that surrounded him. He blinked again and shook off the unusual magic his brown, shaggy fur shivering at the movement. In his effort to rid himself of the uncomfortable feeling he spotted his master. With a surprised kewh he jumped up on its yellow clawed green legs, off the floor and onto the bed that his master was laid upon. He had always considered this one to be his Master. He knew that few of the other agreed with him as well and that would not change. He had bonded to this master. He could barely feel the spark of life from his Master; it was burning but… there was something wrong. It was as if something was trying, and failing, to snuff it out. Whatever it was trying to do it wasn't doing it; but at the same time it wasn't leaving. With his senses he bushed in deeper. Something was wrong with the link. His Light Master was not properly connected to his Dark Master and that what was keeping this Master from expelling the foreign power. He straightened. He had to find his Dark Master. His Dark Master had to come here. Sadly he looked at his unconscious Master and with a final Kewh and a light cuddle to the side of his Masters neck he jumped off the bed and moved away from the bed to seek help for his Master.

It took a while for him to trace the dark powers that were a part of his Dark Master. It took a while because they were so weak. His must have been the power that he had felt in the realm and due to the sheer amount that had been used it explained why it had taken so long to find. As quickly as he could he moved down the narrow hall he had found the trace in. Three halls and four closed doors later he found his quarry. With an excited kewh he jumped into the hard table that his Dark Master was on.

His Dark master had a number of dark marks over his skin that he knew must be places where harm was done. On top of that there was some sort of contraption holding his master down and his eyes had been covered. He could feel the life in this Master, a dark light that had only grown darker so now that he was separated from his lighter half. With a saddened kewh he focused what little power he had on one of the band surrounding his Masters hand. It was a long shot but he would do what he could. Exhausted he sat back on his haunches and prodded his Master with his meagre power. His Master mind had begun to stir when he heard a sound. He turned in time to see the net come around him. With fearful eyes Kuriboh looked up at his red haired capture as the human stared down at him with interest behind the shining contraptions on his face.

* * *

Yeah sorry. So like it is two am so forgive me for any mistakes. I mean I promise I'll review… someday. I just really don't like review.. lol I don't even review exams – once through and I'm done lol. On that note I'm looking for a BETA for my YGO fics so if anyone's interested drop me a line.

So how soon did you guess that it was Kuriboh? I always consider that to be Yugi's monster lol so cute! I had such a hard time between he and it. At first I thought it was it, but then realised that Kuriboh is a he and Kuribon is the female version so… I would write a paragraph and realize that I had used 'it' all throughout then would have to go back and change all the 'it's' that specified Kuriboh and changed it to 'he' sigh. God it was annoying lol. I figured that Kuriboh wouldn't know what human things were lol. Any guess what the 'shining contraption' on the humans face are? Lol on that note; Cookies for any who can tell me what they are and who that human is.

School starts for me tomorrow. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas – or Merry whatever it is that you celebrate – and I wish you a Happy New Year.


	6. Chapter 5

Well here's another one kiddies! Hope you enjoy.

**The Darkest Magic**

**Tifa Strifeheart**

**~Last Time~**

_Exhausted he sat back on his haunches and prodded his Master with his meagre power. His Master mind had begun to stir when he heard a sound. He turned in time to see the net come around him. With fearful eyes Kuriboh looked up at his red haired capture as the human stared down at him with interest behind the shining contraptions on his face._

**Chapter Five**

"What is that thing?" Arthur Weasly turned around; his wand still held up and shook his head.

"I have no idea." He peered down at the quivering bundle of fur caught within his spell. "I don't think that I've ever seen anything quite like it." He looked up at the auror that had followed behind him, the man had been introduced as simply Charles and - by the look of him - he was a newbie that hadn't seen very many duels. Mentally shaking his head, Arthur glanced over his shoulder and at the still form on the room's only horizontal surface. "Is this the person that you wanted me to see?"

"Indeed he is." The auror turned to Conilious Fudge as the president strode into the holding room. Straightening, Author stepped around Charles to look at the President. Fudge frowned at the swinging net at the tip of his wand."What _is _that thing?" Arthur shrugged.

"I don't know. It was sitting over the person's body when I got here." Fudge looked up at him.

"Well put is somewhere, Control of Magical Creatures can deal with it." Obediently, Arthur tied off the net and placed it in gently on the floor. The thing made a little sound as it touched down and then stared up at him with surprisingly large eyes. With a small smile he patted the top of its head once before getting up and turning back to Fudge. The president was standing over the man lying on the table. This was the first time that he had finally gotten the chance to get a good look at the person that had been taken into custody.

He would guess that this person was in his mid twenties. He had black hair – tipped crimson, with a few blond bangs most of which shot up into his hair. He could tell from the man's exotic appearance that he wasn't from around here; anyone who looked like that would stand out in both the muggle and wizarding worlds. He was lean, a bit on the short side and dressed up in more leather then he had ever seen on a muggle before. But apart from an apparent leather fetish there was nothing about him that seemed to match the report he had read before coming to headquarters. He was bound to the table with straps on his arms and legs – at the ankles, wrists, thighs and upper arms – a bit of overkill for such a person in his opinion; or what would have been his opinion if he hadn't been told what this person was supposedly capable of. Even as he stared at the man's expressionless face the words from the details filled his mind and he couldn't seem to make them stick. He turned to Fudge… who had been studying _him_ studying the bound man.

"_This _is the person you told me about?" Fudge glanced down at the man on the table.

"Yes." He shook his head. "Terrible, terrible thing. This-this _muggle _killed seven high ranking aurors before they could put a stop to him." Fudge sighed. "Terrible way to go." Silently Arthur agreed and behind him there was a sound from Charles. The details of what had happened out there hadn't been in the report. The only people who could have said for sure what had happened were this unconscious man and the seven bodies they had found on the scene. At least they assumed there were seven bodies, only one had been whole – they were still searching for the pieces of the other six. Looking away from the prisoner he turned to the other men in the room taking in each in turn.

"If you don't mind me asking; why did you call _me_ here?" he gestured at the man on the table – he always hated the way that Magical Enforcement dealt and wanted no part of it if he had a choice. Fudge crossed his arms and leaned back onto the balls of his feet rocking slightly.

"Well this has nothing to do with Magical Enforcement." He frowned.

"What do you-"

"This _person_ is a muggle." Arthur gave them both disbelieving stares and Charles nodded at him when their eyes met. He turned back to look at the man strapped onto the table.

"But the report said-"

"We have no idea how he did… how he did whatever it was that he did. All that we know is that he was somehow able to defeat six of our own; six of our best at that." Arthur could only stare at the form on the table. Without conscious thought he found himself beside what he assumed was their prisoner. The moment his hand touched the skin of the others face he felt a jolt and snatched his hand back. In an instant Charles was there in front of him, pushing him away from the still prone form, wand raised and eyes cautiously eyeing the strange muggle. Suddenly no longer looked like the amateur that Arthur had taken him to be at first. There was a look in Charles's eye that hadn't been there a moment before as he stared at the man in the restraints and it clicked.

"You were there. You saw what happened." It hadn't been a question but the other man nodded anyways.

"Yes." His hand tightened on his wand making the poor instrument shake a bit. "I was there. It was horrible. He- _it_ killed everyone." Charles shook his head almost reluctantly, like he didn't want to take his eyes off the other. In fear maybe? "I don't know how. All I felt was cold; a bone chilling cold that just burned everything away." Arthur forced himself to let out the breath that he had been holding.

"A Dementor?" If this muggle had somehow found a way to command the guardians of Azkabam… Charles shook his head, his wand and eyes slowing lowering.

"No. Nothing that happened could have been done by a Dementor. A dementor sucks the happiness leaving only the pain. Whatever this was sucked out everything. Happiness, sadness, all of it. Standing there I was blind and deaf the only thing left was fear and the knowledge that I was going to die." There was a silence that lay heavy on them. Charles just stared at the ground. Arthur stared at him. Even though he read the report, it came nothing close to what this man described.

"What-what happened?" Charles sighed, tension seeming to flow out of him.

"When we came to – the others and myself – he was just laying there. No one knew what had stopped him but he was just on the ground beside that other one." Arthur nodded. Even though he didn't understand most of it, the report had mentioned something about another person that had been hit with the killing curse. There had been a note that both muggles looked alike… had looked exactly alike – twins maybe. 'Whatever stopped it, it didn't have anything to do with something _we_ did." Arthur looked down at the hand that had touched the prisoners face and only realized that he had been holding it through the entire tale. What he had felt… he was sure that whatever the unconscious man was he couldn't be human. "We were like children that didn't know how to use are magic." He hung his head. "We were as helpless as muggle children."

It struck him then and he turned around ignoring the confused gazes of the other two men. The creature that they had walked in on - there was no way that such a thing could have gotten into a place like this. Especially not with the men guarding the door – there was no way a thing like that could have simply walked in. And apparition wasn't possible down here. For a moment he stared at the empty net on the wall wondering why the fact that it was empty didn't surprise him.

"What is it?" Arthur straightened and met the Charles concerned look. He just shook his head and gestured at the net. He watched realization appear in the auror's eye.

"What the bloody hell-"

"It's gone." Charles' emotionless voice cut the minister off. "The creature Mr. Weasly caught; it has disappeared." Arthur watched the Ministers face darkened as he stared at the empty net. Somehow the creature had escaped even with all three of them in the room with it.

"Well we have to find it! Who knows what it could have been doing in here." He glanced at the person strapped onto the table and his face became anxious. Spinning on his heel, Fudge swung open the door. "I want this building searched. Charles, come over here and describe the creature to them. I want the security on this room doubled." Arthur drowned out the Ministers voice as he kneeled beside the empty net. Touching the tip of his wand to the net, he watched it slowly unravel wondering why he was so sure that no matter how hard that they searched for the creature they wouldn't find it, whatever it was.

* * *

He should have never been forced to come to a place like this. That's what other people were around for – to do the things that he didn't want to do. It was situations like this that secretaries were the most useful. Unfortunately his secretary was the reason that he was here in the first place. Kaiba Seto sighed as he stepped through the apartment buildings front doors. There was no receptionist in the lobby, hell there wasn't even a desk or chairs for guests but he didn't expect much when it came to these lower class dwellings. A small part of his mind told him that this apartment building was in what was considered a middle class neighbourhood but he crushed it before it could begin to influence him. Everything not at his standards could be considered lower class. His thoughts paused a moment as he pressed the call button for the elevator as he imagined how his secretary would react to such thoughts. Probably with a retort about him being full of himself or some such. A blank look quickly turned into a scowl as the elevator began to ascend. It was Jounouchis fault that he was here. What use was a secretary that didn't show up to work three days in a row? He would have already fired him if it wasn't for the fact that good help really was hard to find and surprisingly enough his secretary fell into the 'good help' category.

He crossed his arms and leaned against one of the elevators walls. What the hell was happening? First Jounouchi has that seizure in his office and ends up in the hospital. Then the blond tells him that they are a normal thing from him and now he fails to come to work. He didn't understand what was going on with the blonde. The only reason he even bothered to come here was because his secretary was a slacker and not because of stupid images of the blond dead on his living room floor. If Jounouchi wanted to die he had better do it on his own time and with a two week notice. A chime signalled that the elevator had arrived at the desired floor and he swept out as soon as the doors opened. The last thing he wanted to do was spend any more time then he absolutely had to in this place. Walking down that hall he compared the numbers on the doors to the one he had found in his employee files. The door was only partway down the hall and when he found it he suddenly couldn't decide what to do.

'_That annoying bastard.'_ He didn't want to knock on the door but at the same time he wasn't sure that breaking the door down would have been such a good idea. The last thing he wanted was to cause a scene, especially considering the fact that he was standing in the middle of a deserted hallway, staring at a door and looking like an idiot. It was that thought that made him reach out and knock on the door; loudly. There was a crashing sound from behind the door. He rolled his eyes. A few moments silence; or what would have been silence if not for the loud thumps and mini-crashes coming from behind the door, the door opened. Kaiba didn't even give the face that appeared the time to realize who it was before he pushed his way passed both him and the door and into the apartment.

"Where the hell have you been?" He turned around and met a complete stranger. His frowned deepened as he started at the person gawking at him with the front door still open. He was sure he had gotten the address right. But that couldn't be Jounouchi. The other man was usually less… swollen most of the time.

"K-Kaiba" The blond rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing here?" Kiaba crossed his arms over his chest.

"I should be asking you that." He could only stand the absent look the blond shot him for about a miniute before he gave up with a sigh and uncrossed his arms. "I take it then, that you had no idea that you have been absent from work for the past three days. Without notice if I might add." The start and surprised expression would have been more impressive if he had believed it.

"Three days!" Hurriedly, and with more energy than he had appeared to have, Jounouchi swept past him and further into the apartment, with no other options, Kaiba followed suit. Jounouchi's apartment was tidier then he'd expected it to be. It was nothing impressive but it was serviceable. Taking in his surroundings Kaiba didn't realise that they had entered the bedroom till the blonde had stopped walking. He watched Jounouchi bend over and pick up what appeared to be his cell phone from the bed side table. He pressed a button and the screen lit up. Kaiba cocked his head, wasn't his secretary just full of surprises today; he hadn't even been aware that a person's eyes could get that big… unless you were Yugi, of course. Jounouchi took a deep breath and let it out. Kaiba crossed his arms again.

"_Now _do you believe me?" There was no response; the blond just stared at the phone in his hands.

"Yug… what have you done." Now the idiot was talking to himself. Kaiba had just about had enough.

"Hello, earth to idiot! Wanna explain to me why you decided to take an unexcused leave. I'm just your boss if you care to recall." That got Jounouchis attention but not exactly the kind he had been looking for. The blond sighed and turned to him dragging a hand through his mop of hair.

"Look Kaiba I didn't plan any of this. It just _happened_." He glanced at the phone still in his hands. "Three whole days… man. I haven't had anything to eat since I left from work. It was just such a shock." Kaiba frowned.

"What was?" Now it was Jounouchis turn to frown at him.

"You mean to tell me that you didn't feel it?" He didn't bother to respond to the question. Jounochi sighed again. "Well at…. Three days ago, I guess, at around ten-ish at night, I got this – this feeling. It was terrible. I can't really explain it except that it was painful… and lonely. And somehow I just knew that it had to do with Yugi. I don't know how I knew I just did. Something's happened to my little bud somewhere. It felt like something was torn away and went missing. It still feels that way. I couldn't deal." Kaiba recalled that night. The feelings he had had experienced were similar pain but also despair and helplessness and then there was just a void. The idea of Yugi had come to but he had just shrugged it off. Yugi, couldn't have made him feel like that, but that night he couldn't stop worrying. He had left his work earlier then he would have usually to look in on Mokuba. The sight of his sleeping little brother had eased him enough catch some sleep of his own that night however the hollow feeling had yet to disappear. The only reason that he had let Jounouchi off for so long was because he didn't want to associate his feelings of emptiness with anything that had to do with the blond. He couldn't deny though how being in the blonds company seemed to make the sharpness, that he couldn't explain, ease some. He looked up from his musings to find Jounouchi staring at him.

"What?"

"You felt it too that night, didn't you?" Kaiba refused to answer and the expectant look on the blonds face eventually faded."Well I have been in bed for the last three days. I have no idea how I made it so long without fo…" The other man trialed off and Kaiba turned to see what it was that had grabbed his attention. There on one of his four drawer cabinets was the millennium scales. The gold was glowing brightly surrounded by wisps of shadows. Behind him the blond chuckled. "Well that answers that." Even as he spoke the glowing dimmed down a shade or two and there was a very loud, very obvious growl behind him. Arching an eyebrow he turned to Jounouchi who was scratching his head sheepishly. "Heh heh, Guess I spoke to soon. Well since you're already here, would you give me a sec to get dressed?"

"Why the hell would I do that?" The blond began to herd him to the door even as he spoke.

"Well isn't it obvious. You're taking me out to lunch." He craned his neck back to look at the person that was pushing him from behind.

"Now just wait for one god damned min-" He whirled around just in time to watch the bedroom door slam shut in his face.

* * *

Silently he groaned. He couldn't have made a sound even if he had wanted to. Everything; everywhere hurt. His whole body was sore. Even the spikes on the top of his head seemed to ache and it wasn't just his body. Everything inside hurt as well. It was as if someone had taken both his mind _and_ body and put them through that contraption for grinding food… the blender. He just wanted to lie here and sleep until the pain passed and his energy returned. He didn't even know where _here_ was or how he had come to be here; all he knew was that the last thing that he wanted to go was get up. The lull of sleep was rhythmically pulling him back into his warm embrace when something from the outside intruded.

It was like a gentle pressure but at the same time it was insistent… and so very familiar. From what he could sense the thing that was doing the prodding was light surrounded by darkness. The feel of that purity lying just out of reach sent a longing through him that, for a moment, overrode the pain that was lancing through him. Determined to get more he reached out to it. He didn't know how but he did and…

As soon as the light appeared it had disappeared and something inside of him cried out for its return even as that same part of him began to die. Now that he could remember the light, the sense that there was something missing slammed into him... Something was very wrong. There should never be this lightless void of darkness inside of him. Something that had kept the shadows at bay was missing. Unconsciously he reached towards the connection that he had _always_ had to the light, some part of him desperate to find that missing piece. He was very aware of the hollow agony that made his soul flinch when he _touched_ the ragged remains of that torn connection. Even the pain that he had awoken too could not compare to this; this feeling of helplessness. Even as he drowned in his despair his resolve to claim what was rightfully his solidified.

He tried to recall it. What it was that that was missing. The flood of memories came back in a flood started with a flash of light then a smile and that was all it took. As he watched the memories he was shocked that he could have possibly forgotten all this, cursing himself silently for his failure. His mood only darkened as his memory returned and by the end of the flashbacks he was horrified by what he had forgotten; what he now remembered.. None of it could have been true. He refused to believe it. He had to get up from here and find out what had really happened. Weakness made his body heavy. There was no way he could rise and begin to search. Slowly as the reality of his situation began to sink in, his decision to find his missing piece became less a conscious choice and more an unconscious instinct. Unable to take the strain of his body, his consciousness began to fade away despite his hardening resolve. Only a single thought managed to break the surface as a darkness part natural and part shadow began to envelop him.

Lying bound on the table, Yami's eyes snapped open as he silently whispered a single monotonies word as if in a trance: "Yugi."

* * *

Wow… I'm sorry all. I know it has been forever. First came mid-terms, then final exams before I knew it and then preparing for Anime North – an anime convention here in Canada – and finally the convention itself. But finally all that is over with. Now it's just dividing my time between: anime, manga, video games, being online and fic writing… oh and actual real work sigh. I'll try to stay on top of things but I promise nothing.

I Need YOUR help! (For the next chapter) Reader question: What type of Deck should Ryou and Bakura use? (You know, for those of you who actually care about the game lol). I have the next chapter planned but I need a deack and can't figure out what he uses… sigh

So I just realized that Is NOT uploading my formatting – as simple as it is! I'll have to do something about that. How come no one said anything! No wonder switching views became a hassle sigh. Ah well. I'll try to go back and fix all that. Heh heh. I'm still looking for a YGO HP BETA if anyone is or knows someone I'm all ears. So I'm actually going to try and consciously revise this chapter… hope I do a good job.


	7. Chapter 6

This chapter was like a bug in my brain so I have to get it out. Harry will appear someday. Enjoy, read and review.

**The Darkest Magic **

**Tifa Strifeheart **

**~ Last Time ~**

_Lying bound on the table, Yami's eyes snapped open as he silently whispered a single monotonies word as if in a trance: "Yugi."_

**Chapter Six**

Folding another sweater, Ryou threw it into one of the two suitcases that he was packing not as neatly as he usually would have. He was happy that they were finally doing something and wanted to be off, yet at the same time he couldn't just leave like Bakura had suggested. Thinking of his yami had him glancing around at the darker half. Bakura was sitting on the room's only armchair his eyes closed and the millennium ring around his neck pulsing with a golden glow. While he stayed and packed, Bakura was in the Shadow Realm speaking with their monsters. They too had been affected by whatever it was that had happened to Yugi. How exactly they had been affected Bakura refused to go into though. He sighed and turned back to the suitcases, staring between them and checking things that they needed off his mental list.

After Yugi disappeared, Ryou had thrown himself into school and, after that, his work. Bakura had stuck with him throughout it all. With almost three years now, with no vacations and very few sick days, he was talking it all now with interest. He dropped their toothbrushes in one of the cases little pockets. The only other option he had would be to quit the Museum, something he may have to consider if the search for his friend took too much time. Something that he hoped would never happen. Thinking back he realised that he had wasted too much time he couldn't help beating himself up because of it. He aimlessly pushed a folded pile of cloths to make some space inside Bakuras suitcase; in the space he fit the container of their unused card. He should have gone after Yugi as soon as he disappeared. He should have done something to get him back. Now, almost three years later he would do something… and he would make the people that hurt his friend pay. He realised that he was trying to force some random piece of clothing into the already packed suitcase and had to force himself to stop. Now that they were setting out, finally, he felt himself becoming stressed. The worst part was that he didn't even know what it was that was getting to him. He guessed that it was the fact that there was so much that they didn't understand and didn't know. For starters; who killed Mutou Sugoroku? He didn't think that the man had any enemies, not that he could say he knew the man very well. But even more pressing; what was it about the murder would make Yugi leave everything that he knew.

"You're thinking too much." He turned his head slightly to the side as an arm came around and gripped him by the shoulder. He sighed as his back pressed against Bakuras chest. He had learned that he was a very physical person once he and Bakura had come to understand one another. Even now he felt his stress being drained out of him and into his other half and his mind and body easing at the contact. This was something he needed. Large amounts of stress and shadow magic were never a good combination. When emotions ran too high or too wild, shadow magic tended to creep in and affect the user. Their minds and eventually their control were affected by the presence of the shadows on them. When he learned of this from Bakura it explained so much. Like why so many of the people they met were crazy. Emotions on high were best to be avoided when one dabbled in shadow magic, even the pharaoh himself had had times where his emotions got the better of him to everyone's chagrin. He sighed and closed his eyes as the tension left him.

"I'm sorry." He felt Bakura move.

"Don't be." There was silence for a bit while he concentrated on his breathing. "Are you almost done here?" He opened his eyes with a small nod.

"Yes. I'm pretty sure that there is nothing else that will fit." He straightened breaking contact with his Yami except for his shoulders where Bakura rested his hands. He glanced over the cases. "Yep everything's there." He turned where he was sitting. "Did you finish what you wanted to do?" Bakura looked down at him and shrugged.

"Not really. They want to see you." Ryou gave him a questioning look and it was returned with a dry one. "Well that's what you get when your being a worry wart _all_ the time. You're not the only person in your head half the time if you bother to care to remember." Ryou couldn't help but smile at Bakuras scolding tone. He couldn't help but think how much things have changed.

"Should we finish here first?" Bakura nodded as he straightened up turning his back on Ryou. They finished with the leftover minor packing in a matter of minutes. Ryou made sure everything was off while Bakura made sure all the doors were locked. Once done they stood side by side in the middle of the silent apartment, one suitcase on the floor beside each of them. Fondly Royu stroked the deck resting in its case on his belt. Though similar to Bakuras the two decks did have their differences but the same theme was predominating throughout. He felt that he shared something with the horrifying monsters that served him. Like him they were always misunderstood simply by what they looked like. That was something that he could really understand. He glanced at him yami. It was something that they could both understand. "You know the exact place where the used their powers last?"

"I'm close enough. But don't you have something to do before we head out." Ryou sighed as he opened himself to the shadows and began to _push_. An instant later both boys were gone.

* * *

As soon as solid ground was under his feet again, Ryou felt his knees give way and was caught at the very last second. "Damn it! Tell me if you can't take it." Ryou took a deep breath reaching for one of the walls of the ally that they appeared in and resting both of his weight on it.

"I'm fine. Really I'm fine." Above him Bakura rolled his eyes.

"Sure you are. Look, wait here. I'll find us a place to stay." Immediately Ryou shook his head and pushed himself off the wall taking deep breaths and ignoring for a second that the world had faded for a second there.

"I'm fine. I'm just not used to using for so long." It took effort but he straightened completely aware of Bakuras critical eyes on him. Taking care he bent over to grip the handle of his suitcase. When he was sure he wasn't going to collapse again he straightened and gave his Yami the driest look that he could muster. "Well are you coming or not?" Bakura let out a bark of laughter before turning away. Ryou released the breath that he had been holding and watched his yami walk away. Taking a step he and feeling the weakness in his legs, he wondered how long he would be able to keep it up. He just hoped that they got to a hotel soon so that he could sit down. Even take a nap if possible. It was only when Bakura stop walking that he noticed the crowd that was standing seemingly staring at the woods. With how tired he was feeling it was a marvel that he noticed anything at all. 'Note to self: when considering travel via shadow realm, next time – don't.'

"What the hell is everybody staring at?" Ryou noticed that a number of people Bakura a look at his language but said nothing. Sighing Ryou took a few steps forward and reached out to touch a man's shoulder. He froze mid movement as he felt the wave wash over him; after spending half the day surrounded by this feeling there was no mistaking it. A very large amount of shadow magic had been used here and not long ago. Behind him he could feel Bakura frowning at him.

/_Come here._/ Without asking why, Bakura took walked towards him. Inches from him his yami stopped, his eyes narrowing. Ryou watched as he turned to the nearest woman tapping her shoulder. "Could you tell us what happened here?" So his darker half could be nice when he wanted to; Ryou had know but it was still a shock when he actually witnessed it. The older woman turned and gave both Bakura and him a once over before she spoke.

"Well looks like there was a construction accident in the middle of the night. Took out a whole lot of trees and burned some land in the forest." She cocked her head as she placed a hand on her chin resting the elbow on her other crossed arm. "The funny thing is that I don't remember them saying that there was going to be any sort of work done. Not any time soon."

It came so suddenly; and seemingly out of nowhere. In an instant Bakura was at his side, hand already on his deck at his waist trying to stare at everyone around them at once. Even though he wasn't sure how much good he would be in a fight he had his hand hovering over his pocket just a breath away from grabbing at his link to the shadows. No one else however seemed to notice what was happening. The woman in front of them stopped speaking for a second. If the – whatever it was – hadn't been directed towards her and Ryou hadn't been watching for something he would have missed it entirely. For a second her face went completely blank, the next moment she was animate again and chuckling.

"My, these things always get away from me. They were scheduled to work; something to do with clearing more land for some new houses or some such." She leaned in a bit with a smile. "You didn't hear this from me but I was told that they were clearing the place to build a new mall." She let out an exaggerated sigh. "It really is too bad about the accident." Ryou nodded at the woman and gave her a smile if not just out of thanks then just to shut her up.

"Thank you for telling us." She waved with one hand.

"No problem." As the woman turned away Ryou turned to Bakura who was still scanning the crowd.

"I highly doubt that there was any such 'construction accident.'" Bakura snorted.

"You can bet your ass that there wasn't. The million pound question is how the hell they got everyone here to believe that whatever the hell it was that happened was a construction accident. Cus with the sheer amount of residual shadow magic here it can't look like an accident of any sort." He frowned. "There shouldn't even _be _any residual magic here. Man the pharaoh must have really let loose." Ryou gave him a look.

"What really concerns me is what we just felt. And whatever they did changed that woman's memory entirely. The only thing I know that can do something like that is the rod and that is nowhere near here." Bakura straightened looking less off guard to anyone who didn't know him. His hand still hovered above his deck and his direct connection to the shadow realm just a hair away.

"Well obviously the rods not the only thing that can do it then. I want to take a look at the site." Ryou nodded as he bent to pick up the suitcase that he dropped. It was halfway down that his body remembered that it was nowhere near being healed enough to take any sort of strain. Once again his knees gave way and once again he was saved from falling flat on his face. When he looked up Bakura was glaring down at him. He grinned up shyly at his darker half and opened his mouth to tell him he was fine when that glare intensified.

"No. I don't want to hear it. We'll check out the site, after you've had some rest." Realizing that arguing was futile, Ryou just nodded and straightened out of Bakuras hold. Before he had a chance to, the yami took hold of both his own and Ryous suitcases and began walking without a word to his companion. He stared at the others departing back for a second before hurrying to catch up.

* * *

Even with the crashes and screams that Arthur heard as the small group consisting of him and a handful of aurors that had been running to the main atrium; none if it had prepared him for the scene that he meet when they burst through the door. He had to stop and stare in shock and, by the looks on the aurors face, he wasn't the only one. The only thing that was in still in one piece was the front desk and the Fountain of Magical Brethren everywhere where else there was evidence of some sort of destruction or another. Chunks were coming out of the walls and ceiling chairs and the like had been blown about everywhere and were scattered among wizards that lay groaning on the floor. He felt relief when he didn't see any bodies lying completely still. Looking away from the mess on the floor he saw the source of the chaos and he recognized it. The person that he had seen mere hours before was dragging himself to one of the atrium exits. Even as he watched, the spiky haired man raised an arm and _something _blasted out of his hand and knocked away three aurors that had been approaching him from his left. As if it was a signal, the aurors that had came with him flowed past him and towards the man impressively dodging the bodies of wizards and the people treating them. Instead of going with them Arthur frowned.

Why was this person doing this? By the look of him he was ready to collapse at any moment. It must have been sheer force of will that kept him moving and, strangely he wasn't moving towards the exit. Then it hit him. He wasn't trying to leave. Almost without thought, he spun on his heel and rushed down the hall. If that person was going to where he think he was then there was a short cut.

It took him almost fifteen minutes to get to the hallway and hoped that he wasn't too late. He glanced at the door at the end of the hall before stepping back to stand against the wall. All the time he waited, a voice in the back of his head – which strangely sounded like Molly's – asked what he was doing here. He silently replied that he had to know what was about this person. He didn't get the feeling that the man he had saw was a killer despite everything he had read and witnessed so far. He had stood there for ten minutes and Mollies voice was beginning to sound more and more convincing when he heard it. Both mollies and his own internal voices shut up and stood at attention. Before he could even decide what to the man appeared. He felt his body froze as the spiky haired man began to approach. Nobody followed behind him and Arthur figured that either they had evacuated this area and set up a barrier outside the hall or they were unable to get in. Either way he couldn't help asking himself what he had really gotten into. Slowly the man approached seemingly dragging his body as he did so and the wizard tried to make himself disappear. As he got closer Arthur noticed wisps of black smoke seemed to be floating around his body making parts of him disappear at times. He had begun to hold his breath as this man got within three feet of him and stopped. The spiky head turned away from the door that he had been staring at and turned to him.

Arthur's heart froze for a second before he realised what he was looking at, then that hand loosed its grip around his heart. Red eyes were dulled and seemingly unseeing; like a person who was sleep walking. Those eyes focused on him, well focused as much as blank eyes could. He began to raise his arm but froze mid-movement. Arthur, who had been reaching for his wand in the folds of his rob stopped as well. Those red eyes had left him and had turned to face the door. Slowly the arm dropped back to his eyes as his eyes closed. When they opened again he noticed from the profile that those eyes seemed less blank then they had a moment before. Without bothering to look at him again the man turned away and walked the few feet left towards the door before the spiky haired man disappeared behind it.

Releasing his breath Arthur wilted for a moment. The body of his companion had been left in the infirmary when they had been sure that he had been no wizard. There were going to dispose of it later that day. How he had known that the body was here at all was anyone's bet. Slowly he approached the door glancing back to see if anyone else was coming. The last thing he needed was for someone to come and surprised the man who had finally calmed down. Pressing his ear against the door he listened to any sound that he could pick up. Through the wood he heard a soft sound one that sound both familiar and strangely unsettling. As silently as he could he pushed the door open and slipped inside. He took a few steps into the infirmary and froze again. Whatever he had been expecting it was far from the sight that greeted him in that small room.

There the man that had been terrorizing the entire ministry was on his knees beside a single bed. The white cloth that had been placed over the body had been hastily thrown to one side and the man had his head in the chest of the corpse's body. The similarities between the corpse and the man hunched over it were more startling then he had expected. The man's shoulders – the only part of him Arthur could see clearly were shaking and he finally recognized the sound that filled the air as sobbing. He had known but he hadn't been sure if such a being was _capable_ of crying. Against his better judgment he felt his heart going out to the apparently broken man. Obviously they had been close. After spending some time just watching he had begun to ask himself what he should do when the man spoke quietly. He couldn't recognize the language that was being spoken – it sounded oriental in origin. Suddenly the man straightened on his knees and stared down at the bodies face. Staring at him, Arthur realised that there was nothing blank about his eyes and, as he watched, he saw determination form in them. Slowly the man began to lean over the other again but this time he brought his face closer to that of the corpse. He whispered something that the wizard just heard in a language he couldn't recognise at all be for there was a blinding flash.

Instinctively he threw up his arms and shut his eyelids to protect himself from the glare. When the light behind his eyelids finally faded he opened his eyes. Nothing had changed except for the fact that the red eyed man was gone. Hastily he turned around then ran to the door peering out of it. There was no sign of him in the room or in the hall. He had simply disappeared. Arthur frowned; it shouldn't be possible in the Ministry. A cynical voice told him that a lot of things that had happened recently shouldn't have been possible. He turned back to the only other 'person' in the room. Slowly he walked over to the bed and stared down at the body. This had been what the man had come for. His eyes widened as the corpse on the bed took a breath before its eyes slammed open. Large violet eyes stared up at something he couldn't see before he lurched into a sitting position gasping for breath. Arthur – who had thrown himself back in terrified shock – stared as the boy sat panting for breath.

"They should have called me the moment of the attack." Even with the scorn dripping from it that voice was the most wonderful thing that he had ever heard. With a sigh of relief he turned to Dumbledore who was staring at the corpse that was no longer a corpse any more.

* * *

They had followed the trail as much as possible but in that field Atemus and Yugis auras had spiked and faded there. Every lead had gone cold at the edge of the city. Neither he nor Bakura had seen reason to stay there so had returned to London. They hadn't gone home though. Instead they had followed that strange presence they had felt, the same one that had altered that had woman's memories. "Are you sure this is where the… magic leads?"

"Hell no," Ryou turned to his other as Bakura joined him at the window. His yami stared up and down the small street. "I have no idea where that 'thing' leads." Ryou opened his mouth and Bakura cut him off. "But there is something very similar to it in this area." He glared around and Ryou stared out the window trying to figure what it was that he was looking at. "Now that I know what I'm looking for… the bloody stuff is everywhere here. Like its pressing down on the people here in just this neighbourhood." Ryou looked up at him.

"Maybe there's something here? All that stuff could be guarding whatever us here?" Bakura shrugged.

"What the hell could possibly be in a place called," He squinted as he stared down the street. "Privet Drive. This back end of nowhere place." Ryou pinched him.

"Who would have thought that the items would appear in a place like Domino?" Bakura shot him a dry look.

"Kids play with monsters on the streets and teenagers run companies. Hell, there is something fundamentally flawed with that city as a whole." He shook his head. "Comparing the rest of the world to the massed up little hick town…" He sighed and turned away shoving his hands into his pockets and heading back through their newly purchased house. When he passed the suitcases still sitting unpacked near the staircase Ryou started with surprise and went after him.

"Wait, where are you going?" Bakura stopped with one hand on the doorknob and shot him a smirk. He'd seen that look before and it had never meant anything good for him or anyone else. He opened the door and gestured for Ryou to follow him. Standing in the doorway the only thing that he noticed was a boy stepping out of number four across the street. He glanced over at Bakura. "What…"

"Isn't it obvious," that grin was back. "We're going to introduce ourselves to the neighbours." The under tone of glee in his voice did nothing to make Ryou feel any better about his yami's brilliant idea.

* * *

That's it. If you enjoyed that please review. Hearing from people who enjoy my work means a lot. And for those who don't like my work I still want to know what you don't like about it.

On another note I'm glad so many people are reading this. (Yeah I checked my traffic) hope you all like it.

**Cmpteraddict:** Thanks. Exams were okay... they could have been better but at least school is done for now! Thanks for asking.

**Escapedslave99: **Thanks a lot!

**Tigerwulf: **Thanks! I'm glad you like it. I'll really have to look into the deck. Thanks for the link though. I'm real happy that you're enjoying it.

Well, please review and see you all later**.**


	8. Chapter 7

Please read and review

**The Darkest Magic **

**Tifa Strifeheart **

**~Last Time~**

"_Isn't it obvious," that grin was back. "We're going to introduce ourselves to the neighbours." The under tone of glee in his voice did nothing to make Ryou feel any better about his Yami's brilliant idea._

**Chapter Seven **

A crash had him looking up from his desk just in time to see his secretary backing into the room and apparently apologizing to someone out in the hall. He sighed, if she didn't even have the presence of mind to apologize to him as she barged in he knew this wasn't the kind of disturbance that he could just brush off. There was a bang - it sounded like someone out there had hit something hard; the CEO rolled his eyes, at least it wasn't one of his business partners, he would hate to have to call security on one of them. He leaned back in his chair knowing full well that now that the blond had decided to grace them all with his presence regardless of how late it was it would be some time before he would be able to get back to work. He watched his poor secretary scamper out of the office with a glance and an apology to him; she never knew what to do with Jounouchi when he was like this and history had taught her not to bother trying; he didn't blame her, animal care hadn't been in her job description after all. Jounouchi closed the door behind the woman and leaned took a deep breath his back still facing the CEO. One brow raised in question as the blond turned around to face him. He was holding a small stack of newspapers in his hand, Kaiba frowned - no, newspaper clippings. He cleared the space between the door and the desk in a couple of strides. Not missing a beat he slammed down the clippings on top of the papers on his desk... He stared at the paper clippings being pressed against his desk then then the palm holding them against the desk and then looked up to glare at the owner of that palm. Jounouchi was staring down at him and Kaiba did not like the determined look in his eyes one bit. The last couple of years made it obvious that Jounouchi's determination could mean nothing good for him. "What?"

"We have to do something about this." He gave the blond a look and Jounouchi let go of the clipping that he was holding, straightened and waited crossing his arms over his chest in an expectant manner. Looking away from him, Kaiba stared down at the mess on his desk and pulled them close so he could read. **"Homeless Man Found Dead in Ally," "Bodies Found near Domino Police Station," "Police Confess No Leads in Multiple Deaths," "Suspected Poisonous Toxin feared to be Infecting Domino." **He looked up from the screaming headlines most of which said much of the same and frowned at the man in front of him, Jounouchi shook his head looking grim. "It gets worse." Without bothering to ask, Jounouchi reached over the desk and opened a hidden enclosure where Kaiba kept a sleek black remote. He pressed the release button; one of the walls divided and a TV screen emerged; there was an attached game console in cases when Mokuba visited. The Screen flickered on and switched onto a local news channel.

The headline that cycled at the bottom of the screen read breaking news. The spokeswoman was talking – Jounouchi turned up the volume. "…how that's going to turn out. And now for breaking news;" she did that turn to another camera thing that Kaiba could never really understand. "A family of five living in downtown Domino was discovered in their homes late last night. Sources claim that a neighbour had noticed the family's absence and had gone to investigate when the bodies were found. According to police there were no signs of a break in and that there was no external signs to show what happened to the two adults or the three children that were the victims of this incident; in all instances. Police suspect that the victims had been dead long before the bodies were found but at the moment it remains speculation. No names have been released as of yet. We'll be sure to keep you posted. Now in other news…" Jounouchi hit the mute button and turned to face him. After a moment Kaiba looked away from the television and at him. The determined look was still on the blondes face if not stronger than it was before.

"You know what this is right?" Kaiba just stared at him - how the hell was he expected to know anything about what was happening in the news. Jounouchi sighed and slammed his hands on the desk. "It's the same thing that we saw that night as the hospital! Someone is out there and they're taking people souls! That's the only explanation! We're the only ones in Domino that can do something about any of this!" Kaiba sighed. Jounouchi had been saying that they had to do something about whatever it was that he thought happening since the day they found the homeless man by the hospital. He leaned back and looked up at the other man feeling the beginnings of frustration starting to build.

"What the hell do you expect me to do about it? What do you think that we _can_ do?" He glanced at the screen which was silently showing a bird's eye view of the house that the victims were found in before he looked back at his secretary. "If the police have no possible leads with half the force on the job what makes you think that we will be any more successful." Jounouchi was shaking his head opening his mouth to protest but Kaiba raised a hand cutting him off. "Let's even go as far to say that I believe what you're saying and that these attacks are supernatural in nature. The rod doesn't work for me and even if it did I would have no idea how to use it." He steeple his fingers as he leaned on his chair. "If the problem is magic what do you expect me to do about it?"

"You learn how to use it and you do something about it." Jounouchi was leaning over on the other side of the desk his hands fists against the wood, holding up his weight. Suddenly he threw out a hand towards the TV following his motion by glancing at the screen. "I was there Kaiba! I went to the scene to see for myself it really was shadow magic that was used for the attack." The blonde turned back to him and amber clashed with blue. "They had a security system Kaiba. They were far from poor and had an elaborate system. There was no possible way that they could have gotten in… but they did." His mood began to darken as he took in what the blond was suggesting and with it his face did as well. Jounouchi saw this but didn't back off.

"What the hell Mutt?"

"We _have_ to stop them. What would you do if they got into the mansion while you were here?" he didn't realize that he was on his feet till he had the front of Jounouchi's shirt in his fist and was partially dragging the blond across the desk.

"Don't you dare drag Mokuba into this!" Jounouchi glared right back at him from halfway across the desk not bothering to get free. The determination in his eyes was still there.

"Then do something about it. The only way you can be sure he will be safe from any of this is to stop whoever it is doing it." Kaiba held his glare a moment longer before he let go of the blonde and stood back. He turned away from the other and faced the glass windows that overlooked the city. This office had so many memories in it both terrible ones and wonderful ones. He had made so many different decisions in this very office both trivial and life threatening and now it was time to make another one. The image of Yugi and Atemu flashed in his mind and the gloating rights they would have if they returned and found the entire population dead of Domino. And then there was Mokuba…. Even if it was just the smallest threat, when had he ever _let any_ threat against his brother go sighed and turned around. Jounouchi was staring at him intently.

"I don't know how… I don't know how to use the Millennium Rod." Kaiba was grateful that Jounouchi was trying to hide his glee approval… trying being the operative word. He refused to think of it as giving into the blond but rather as doing what needed to be done to protect his brother - no matter how unseemly it was.

"If I teach you; you'll help?" Kaiba nodded slightly, trying to ignore the sudden stiffness in his neck. "Then what the heck are we waiting for!"

* * *

The world around him was black on all sides. There was no floor, no ceilings, no nothing, anywhere; just the blackness everywhere. He was suddenly glad that he had made Jounouchi wait till after work to get going to… to wherever this place was. The last thing that he would have wanted was to return to the prying eyes of his employees after a trip to this place. He glanced over at the blonde man still standing beside him. Jounouchi was looking around the darkness expectantly and Kaiba couldn't figure out why. The idiot had wanted to leave the moment that he had agreed. The blond had suggested that they do the 'jump;' as he called it, at the mansion where they were familiar. Kaiba had rejected the idea flat out. The last thing that he wanted was for Mokuba to get caught up in this 'shadow magic' crap. Jounouchi had settled for using the office after all – not as if he had had much choice in the matter – but not before making his opinion clear by muttering about 'the pointlessness of it all.'

"Well…" Jounouchi was aiming that expectant look at him now. "What do you think?" He gave the blonde the dry look.

"What do _you_ think?" He shook his head. This place gave him the chills – though he would never admit it even under the threat of death. He remembered the first time that he had been here. It was so many years ago but he still had nightmares about being trapped in here. He couldn't really _remember_ the time that passed when Pegasus had supposedly trapped his soul in here; at least not consciously. Something in him remembered the feel of being trapped in here and relived those feelings in his dreams. He shot a glance at Jounouchi as the other began to move away from him and into the darkness but he didn't say anything. As long as he could see him, Kaiba knew that he would be alright. According to Jounouchi, he had to come here. Only in… this place, could he be introduced to his magic and, apparently, to his monsters.

"I've been poking around here a bit." The blond began to slowly circle him, eyes never in one place looking out at the dark surrounding them. "I mean, with nobody around to teach me exactly how to use any of this, I had to learn by myself." he laughed a bit to himself. "You can't imagine how shocked I was when the Rod that Yami told me to hold on for you just up and picked me so… I just kinda figured it out." Kaiba raised an eyebrow as he watched the other move. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Jounouchi shrugged as he scratched the back of his head.

"Well I'm not hurt, thankfully." Kaiba rolled his eyes.

"Your safety wasn't really what I was talking about." Jounouchi stopped and shot him a grin before continuing his survey of the darkness around them.

"Anyways, the first thing I noticed – when Yami and Yug were still around – was the way that lighter and darker halves use magic is different." He brushed something at his neck and Kaiba was sure that he was touching the scales in their miniature form. The blond looked distractedly out at the darkness as he spoke not even bothering to look back at him. "I asked Yami to describe how he… channelled the shadows. He told me that it was like a fight every step of the way. He claimed that it was him versus an army of other… beings; the shadows I guess." Jounouchi shook his head stopped moving and turned to face him. Oddly, the grim look on his face as their eyes met didn't fit Kaibas image of the immature blonde. "What I figured out, from what Yami told me and what I've learned on my own is this: Shadow magic is used by the mind." He tapped at his temple. "The actually using of the magic is all up here. The body is just a tool. Just cus you can fight real well or are strong has nothing to do with how powerful you're gonna be using shadow magic." He suddenly grinned. "I bet Yugi would be an awesome shadow magic user!" He grinned and Kaiba rolled his eyes. Yugi was an _interesting_ person to say the least. "Anyways, Yami called it a medium, magic is used by the mind through the body which is the medium. The problem is that the shadows have a mind of their own. Yami described it as an instant where it was his will against the shadows and whoever it was that came on top would get to use the 'tool' as they pleased." Kaiba raised a questioning eyebrow.

"What did he say would happen if he _didn't_ win?." Jounouchi's expression darkened again.

"He said that he would lose control. Even though they can think and have some form of will, the Shadows ate mostly composed from chaos and that's all their mind can perceive so when they are able to take control they act on the users most base instincts." From across the non-existent black floor Jounouchi gave him a meaningful look. "Just imagine if someone had lost their temper and reached for the shadow realm and then _lost_. There's no telling what would happen but I'm sure it wouldn't be good. The shadows would act solely on that person's anger and no matter what they did, the power they have control of can only be chaotic. There would be no rhyme or reason to any of it." Kaiba frowned and crossed his arms.

"You said that the way that light halves and dark haves use this… magic is different. How is it then for the lighter halves?"

"It sure is different. I apparently am a light half. For me instead of a fight it's more like a pushing. Like I have to force the shadow to do what I want. For small things it isn't so bad but the harder the thing is that I want to do, the harder I have to exert myself." He scratched the back of his head a thoughtful look on his face. "I have a theory about why it's so different between the halves." Kaiba arched an eyebrow with a smirk.

"You have a theory? This should be good." Jounouchi shot him a dry look.

"Shut up, Kaiba." He just continued to smirk as the blonde went on..

"I think that with darker halves using shadow magic is like merging with the shadow realm. They kinda _become_ the shadows and that's how they can get it to work. For lighter halves it's the opposite. For us it's more like forcing the shadow realm to do what you want it to do. I don't really 'hear' the shadows the way that Yami described. The shadows sound like a murmuring that I can't understand when I'm using shadow magic. The way I figure it is that lights force the shadows while darker halves become the shadows. Both manipulate the shadow realm in their own ways. That's probably the reason why we have all encountered so many insane shadow magic users over the years." As Jounouchi was speaking something dawned on him. Like a light casting a shadow, light pushes the shadow to where it wants them to go." Kaiba held up a hand.

"Wait a minute. You said that darker and lighter halves use shadow magic differently." Jounouchi nodded the affirmative. "And I take it that you are a lighter half." Jounouchi nodded again. He raised a finger to further emphasise his point. "First of all, why are you a light and what does that make me?" Jounouchi finally stopped moving for a second and turned to him with a puzzled frown.

"That's the thing. I don't know what you are - whether dark or light - I mean I have my suspicions but none of them make sense…" He trailed off and Kaiba waited for him to start again. When he didn't Kaiba felt his temper spike.

"Well? What is it that you suspect?" with a start Jounouchi was shaken out of his stupor. He shrugged.

I don't know. All I know is that I'm a light and if we follow this logic - and considering that you're the only other shadow magic user - that would make you a dark." He frowned at the CEO. "Don't worry I've been thinking of every possible other option but am coming up blank. I mean the last thing I would want is for you to be a dark." Kaiba frowned. Something about what the blonde was saying rang very familiar. Something that Yugi always used to say about Atemu. He would always mention the fact that they were…

"Wait. If, for the sake of argument, I was to be a dark… or more particular a _dark half_ that would mean that you, being the only other 'light' would be… would be my-" Jounouchi glared at him.

"That's right _you're highness_. That would make me your light! I would be the lighter half to your darker one." he grinned suddenly. "Your better half that's for sure." Kaiba just stared at him. Obviously the mutt had put a lot of thought into this and he wasn't going to bother to acknowledge the snide with a reply. Like - really Jounouchi as _anyone's better_ half. The idea was ludicrous. Kaiba mentally shook his head, none of that was any important now. First he had to figure if there was anything to this magic nonsense. They had been here doing nothing for so long he was beginning to wonder if he had been the slightest bit hasty in agreeing to be here.

"Are you going to get on with this foolishness or can we go already." The blonde seemed to pout for a moment - due to what Kaiba would never understand - but was quickly back to his normal demeanour. The idiot was about to start talking again but whatever sound he made was cut off by an ear splitting roar. Kaiba froze, no longer doubting where they were. He kept repeating that what he was hearing couldn't be real even as the enormous black dragon slowly began to appear out of the never ending darkness. Each of its steps made the non-existent ground that they stood on shake. It had a slow lumber taking in everything before it with menacing red eyes that seemed to glow in some otherworld light. At this angle, with his head tilted so far back he could almost recognize what he was seeing. If he didn't know better he would have said that that was the-

"Heyy!" The large dragon turned to the source of the sudden noise and along with it Kaiba turned to stare the idiot that wanted the attention of such a great beast. Jounouchi was standing off about half a dozen feet away from the CEO and waving his arms, as soon as he saw that he had the dragons full attention he dropped his hands to both of his hips and took up what Kaiba could only believe to be what he thought a scolding pose was. "What the heck took you so long. I've been here for so long already!" The dragon took a step closer to the blonde, folding its large wings against its back and getting down on all fours. It brought its face closer to the mutt almost as if trying to get a better look at the insect that was bothering it. With a laugh, Jounouchi launched itself at the large beast's head wrapping his arms as far as he could around it and successfully looking like a poodle trying to hug a double decker. More surprising then the sight of the mutt and his dragon was the low sound that came out of the great black beast. If he didn't know better Kaiba would have said that the giant was purring. After a few more minutes of watching Jounouchi trying to get intimate with the beast, his inpatients won out and he found himself making his presence known.

"Mut-" both man and dragon turned to look at him - one sheepishly the other warily.

"Ok, sorry about that Kaiba. I haven't seen him in so long; if someone hadn't been keeping me so busy all the time." He patted the side of the dragons head. "You remember my Red Eyes, right Kaiba? Well boy, this is Kaiba - moneybags himself!" When he met those red eyes the dragon let out a deep rumble. At its side Jonouchi just laughed and swatted the side of the beasts head lightly. "You know full well that it's not like that anymore." Kaiba raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the blonde still keeping an eye on the monster - not that he had any idea what he would do if it suddenly decided that it wanted to attack him. Jounouchi saw the look and just grinned. "Isn't it amazing Kaiba. Duel Monsters being real." He looked up at his scaled partner. "Finally being able to talk to them. But that's not the best part." Without another word he gestured to something behind the brunette. Kaiba spun around and this time when he froze it was in amazement.

There, on what could only be the horizon he saw a light that was something other than him and Jounouchi. It was steadily getting closer to where they all stood and it was only moments before Kaiba recognized what it was that he was looking at. It only took a few more beats of its wings but in no time it was before them, shining in the darkness with a pure beauty: The Blue Eyes White Dragon. With one final beat of its wings that had the wind tearing at his cloths and hair, the beast lowered itself to the ground before him without a sound. From its great height the dragon stared down at him and all he could do was stare back up at it. Nothing, no art nor hologram could, for a moment capture the beauty that was this dragon. It stared down at him with a sense of calm that could only come from knowing the extent of its power and where it stood as such. It shifted it head bending its neck to look closer at him and he could only marvel at the fluidity of its movements. So many times this monster had fought at its side and he had never understood it. He had done this mighty beast such wrong for so long. Even as the thought came to him he felt his resolve hardening; a determination to make the world realize the true value of this creature.

He jumped slightly as a hand came down on his shoulder and to his credit Jounouchi didn't say anything about it. He just smiled that foolish smile of his and gave him a push. After a few stumbling steps Kaiba looked back to glare at the still smiling idiot. "He's yours. Go get'em." Rolling his eyes, Kaiba looked back at the dragon and, with a deep breath - which was not to calm his nerves in anyway - he strolled arrogantly forward towards the Duel Monster. Somehow, by just looking at the dragon, he knew that it would have been raising an amused eyebrow at him if it _had_ eyebrows. He didn't know how he knew and now wasn't the time to wonder. Instead he just stared into its eyes as he got closer his determination only getting stronger with every step. He was the only one strong enough, the only one _worthy_ to own such a beast. The Blue Eyes needed someone as strong at it to control its power and he was the only person that could. A beast of aloof beauty and spirit; a beast that knew - like the first time he had seen it - belonged only at his side. He stopped a foot away from it and, without knowing what it was that it was that he was doing, he raised a hand, palm facing away from him and waited.

The Blue Eyes White Dragon stared down at him and time seemed to slow as it considered him. The waiting had his jaw clenching. The Blue Eyes belonged to him! He saw the moment that it made up his mind for its eyes changed it stretched its awesome shape toward the sky screaming its decision to the heavens. Kaiba refused to move and even smirked a little at the dragon's display of pride. Once its cry had faded the dragon settled forward on its front legs and took a step towards him, pushing the smoothness of its scales into his open hand. If he had been a lesser man he would have gotten emotional at that moment - instead he just smiled down at the beast - his beast. The moment, however was quickly ruined a whole lot of weight attached to two arms came out of nowhere and latched onto him.

"Go Moneybags! You did it!" As quickly as he appeared, Kaiba shoved the blonde off of him with a glare that would have had some of his employees shivering in fear. Jounouchi was obviously not bothered by the reaction for he stood a distance away grinning from ear to ear. He was about to say something biting when a roar - of what was obviously annoyance filled the air. He turned to see the Red Eyes Black Dragon flying circles around the bulk of his Blue Eyes mock snapping at the other dragon. The pale dragon was swinging its tail in a futile effort to keep the darker one away. Kaiba glared at the Red Eyes to Jounouchi and back again and couldn't help but wonder if all monsters were so much like their owners. Feet above his head, the Blue Eyes snorted.

* * *

Well that's it Seven pages and only two scenes. Hope you enjoyed!


	9. Chapter 8

**The Darkest Magic **

**Tifa Strifeheart **

**Chapter Eight **

This had to be the driest neighborhood in the world and that fact had nothing to do with the amount of water in it. Ryou sighed as soon as the door to the house behind them shut. Through the link he could feel Bakuras frustration but for the life of him he couldn't be bothered to care too much, Besides, it had been _his_ fault that they were out here in the first place. Putting his hands in his pockets with another sigh, Ryou began to walk away from the house and down the walkway. The most interesting part of the neighborhood so far had to be the seemingly crazy old cat woman that they had met earlier. She seemed to always want to say something but forgot it at the last moment. There was something about her that Bakura didn't like but couldn't place. Ryou himself just found the woman nice, quirky, but nice. They had just walked to the foot of the next drive way when there was a shriek that had both him at Bakura at attention. He noticed how Bakura slid in front of him but was distracted when the front door to number four Privet drive opened up and out came the teenager that Ryou remembered seeing earlier that day.

The two of them watched in silence as the teenager sat up from where he had been thrown on the lawn. One hand reached up and took off his glasses and he began to inspect them for damages. The boy seemed to be occupied with the conditioned of his glasses and, when Ryou deemed it was safe, he stepped out from behind his yami and approached the younger male. Bakura silently called to him to come back; Ryou just smiled at him over his shoulder and kept going. A second later Bakura brought up the rear not worried about letting Ryou know his opinion over their mind link who just rolled his eyes. Only where they were about a foot away from the boy did he finally realize that they were there. He watched in silence as Ryou tool the last few steps towards him. He stopped before the other boy and extended his hand after a moment the boy accepted his offer and allowed himself to be helped up.

"Thanks." The boy replaced his glasses and dusted his pants off.

"Are you alright?" The boy looked up and gave a start - probably at the sight of Bakura who had come up from behind him. He shook his head distractedly, his brown hair swinging with the movement.

"Umm… I'm fine. It's no big deal." He stared from himself to Bakura and back. Ryou smiled with amusement. "Oh, I'm Harry by the way. Harry Potter." he extended his hand and Ryou took it.

"I'm Ryou and," He gestured over his shoulder. "That's Bakura."/_/Finally, this stupid place starts to get interesting and our main character: the domestically abused Harry Potter!/_ Ryou shut out Bakuras obnoxious commentary just in time to miss the young boys question. He shook his head "Sorry about that Harry, what was that?" The teen gave him a curious look but repeated himself anyways.

"I asked if you guys were twins." Ryou felt more then saw Bakuras feral look and even he couldn't help a small smile of amusement.

"No, were not related in any way. We both just happen to look alike." He should of anticipated the arm that snaked around his waist but soon after it did, Bakuras face was resting on one of his shoulders.

"We could hardly be considered brothers, kid." Ryou beat his other half away while Harry stared between the two of them. With Bakura suitably beaten down, Ryou shook his head at the look on the teenagers face.

"Sorry?" Ryou shook his head.

"Ignore him Harry." Ryou gestured to the house behind the boy. "We were introducing ourselves to the neighbors but in the case of that particular house I don't think it's such a great idea." the dark haired teen shook his head, Ryou smiled. "I didn't think so." He moved to turn. "How would you like to come over for some tea?" He watched the boy ponder the offer before nodding.

"Sure."

* * *

Slowly he blinked… and immediately had to close his eyes because of the glare. He wanted to groan but couldn't find the energy within him to do so. After a moment he frown mentally. That wasn't right. He had energy, loads of it, the only thing was that he didn't feel like using it. Like someone that had lost a limb years before and knew there was no point in applying energy to move what was no longer there. He felt like sighing but he didn't. He didn't feel the need to. Now he knew that something was wrong - that something was missing, he waited for whatever it was to come to him.

He needed to remember but he wasn't sure what it was that he needed to recall or why he needed to recall it. Something in him wanted to just fall back in to the oblivion of sleep that he had woken up from but another part of him, at the moment smaller but much more persistent urged him to get up and find what was missing. Once again he opened his eyes, this time expecting the glare and not getting blinded by it. It took longer then usual for his eyes to adjust but he waited patiently wondering where he was and how he had got here. He blinked as he stared up at the ceiling. He frowned up at the ceiling_, 'Wait a minute, why is the ceiling made out of stones? Where am I?' _Slowly, he pulled himself into a sitting position.

Dizziness hit him and forced his eyes shut again. Something was very wrong - something was wrong with the world. Once again he opened his eyes and took in his surrounding. He knew there was something. It was like everything was dimmer… like there was a layer of detail had been ripped out of the world. This couldn't be right; he shook his head and something caught his eye. There, on the table beside him was a folded pile of clothing but it wasn't that which had caught his eye, rather the golden ornament sitting on top of the lack leather. It was so bright and otherworldly and at the same time so familiar. Before he knew it he had reached for it.

The golden surface was warm against his fingers and for some reason the warmth caused his lids to fall and his consciousness to slip away.

* * *

Yugi sat up with a gasp. For a few moments he sat gripping the white sheets of the bed that he had been lying on and panting as it all came back to him. He hadn't been able to remember. He had woken up in a strange place and hadn't been able to remember a thing. Not about himself, or where he was or anything. He'd been too drained to think - if such a thing was even possible. As his heart rate began to drop, Yugi began to take in his surroundings. He smiled at the familiar walls of his soul room. It had been quite a while since he had been here. Always having to be on alert on the road, he barely got a chance to be in here and even rarer was coming here with his other half. With his Yami.

Yugi turned sharply to the closed door of his most inner room. Why hadn't he thought of Atemu all this time? He frowned. Why hadn't Atemu said anything to him all this time? Anxiousness bloomed in his chest. Why hadn't he _felt_ Atemu all this time? He walked towards the door, a sense of dread rising up within him. From the moment that he had awoken something had felt wrong and now the wished that he had no woken up at all. Before he knew it the door to the hallway of his soul was right in front of him. He ignored the fact that his hand was shaking and pulled open the large white door.

The light from his room spilled into the hallway lighting up the portion of the floor in front of him. Yugi didn't bother to look at the floor, his eyes were fastened to the door across the mall hall and was shocked at how much relief the sight brought him. There, was the large metal door, veins of black and gold all leading to or leading away from the bold golden Eye of Horus in the middle of the door. Just looking at the door had a calming effect on him and a small smile tugged at his lips as he took a step forward. Everything was alright, his yami was here. He'd gotten to the middle of the hall when suddenly there was someone in front of him blocking his way.

Yugi stopped walking before he hit the larger person, backing away and going onto the defensive automatically. He blinked when he took in who it was he was looking at exactly. His purple robes hung elegantly around the lithe man's body and his dark hair was spread out around his back and shoulders. The dark magician just stood and stared back down at him. Frowning, Yugi straightened.

"Dark Magician?" The Duel monster nodded and Yugi frowned even more. "What are you doing here?" The magician shook his head.

_-I'm sorry Master, but I cannot allow you pass_.- Yugi took a moment to get used to the sound of the Magicians mind speech and then frowned when he realized what it was that he was hearing.

"What do you mean? Why can't I go into Yami's room?" The stoic magician shook his head.

_-He requires the time to recover. Even if you could enter you would not find him. The Dark master is returning to himself.-_ Yugi's face paled. If Yami couldn't be found in his soul room then where was he? Where could he possibly be?

"What happened?" The Dark Magicians expression changed for an instant and even though Yugi wasn't able to tell what that expression was he knew that it couldn't mean anything good.

_-When he returns, he will tell you_.- He could only stare. Where was his partner?

"When?" The duel monster finally moved; he slowly shook his head.

_-I do not know_.- Yugi felt his knees give out and couldn't care any less about looking weak here. Just behind the Dark Magician's leg he could see the entrance to the darker half of his soul. So close and yet so far away. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so alone. Even without his will he recalled the time that he was sealed up in the Orichalcos. He was sure he hated this more than that; at least then he had known that Yami was coming for him, now he had nothing. The Dark Magician knelt on one knee beside him and, for a moment, Yugi considered fighting through the barrier and getting to his yami but instantly dismissed it. He would never intentionally harm the Dark Magician; besides, their duel monster would never lie to him. The idea that it _was their_ monster made his chest hurt.

_-Master. Your attention is required.-_ Yugi looked up in to blue eyes and at the moment the sound of someone calling out to him finally reached his ears. The magician stared into his eyes before nodded_. -Go Master, he will come to you when he can. Believe_.- Yugi nodded, reassured by his most trusted monsters words before he let himself fade back into reality.

* * *

"What's wrong with you boy?" Yugi blinked dumbly a few times before his gaze focused on the puzzle in his hands. It took a moment but after a while he realized a woman was standing at his side and lightly shaking him. He figured that the voice was most likely coming from her and she wouldn't stop until he gave her some sort of response; even after he realized it still took his befuddled brain a moment to translate the english. He let his hands, and the puzzle, drop to his lap and turned to look at the woman who took the opportunity to stare into his eyes. "Well_, are_ you alright?" She snapped after finding whatever it was that she had been looking for in his eyes. He took a moment to make sure that when he opened his mouth English would be the language that came out of it.

"I'm-" His voice was dull and scratchy. Yugi frowned and rubbed his throat with a hand. "I'm fine." Stronger this time but not much better. Suddenly a glass of water was thrust at him. He followed the arm holding the glass up to the stern face of the woman who was apparently taking care of him.

"Here. Drink this." He took the water but didn't drink it. Instead he watched the woman wonder around the room fiddling with things. His memory was slowly beginning to return. They had been fighting then everything had gone black for him. His eyes narrowed at the portly woman. She looked innocent enough but was she with them too? At that moment she caught him looking and just glared right back startling Yugi out of his. She shook her head then glanced at the still full glass in his hands. "Will you drink already?" She nodded at something beside him. "There's some chocolate on the table beside your cloths - have some, it'll make you feel better. I have something to take care of, you stay put." With that she turned round and blew out of the room surprisingly light for all the bulk that she had on.

As soon as the door shut behind her, Yugi was off the bed leaving the glass of water beside the chocolate and his cloths on the bed side table. He moved around the room taking in his surroundings as he went. He realized why the world looked so dull and flat now. Without his yami's perception he was like a person walking around with one eye. Until Yami came back he would have to get used to seeing only half the world. For a moment he stopped, eyes squeezed shut and fists clenched as a wave of sorrow and longing crashed into him; he wanted his yami - here - with him. With an effort, he shook his head and along with it shook off the desperation that was creeping up on him. He had to be strong and figure out what was going on here. Yami would come back when he was ready and he would give him an earful. Until then he would have to watch out for himself.

The room that he had awoken in was somewhat smallish. There was the bed that he had awoken on, the table that his cloths and other things were sitting on. There was a table on the wall opposite the bed and on it there was a verity of different bottles that he couldn't begin to start labeling, even those with labels said things that he couldn't decipher. There was a chair beside the bed and another beside the door. The one by the bed gave him shivers at the idea of some stranger sitting over him while he was defenseless. He clenched a fist as he reached closer to his source to the shadows. He wouldn't allow himself to be put in a position like that ever again. He wandered around the room till he was sure that he had the room layout in his head and was sure that there was no one else in it. The strangest thing about this room was that not only were there no windows - something that shouldn't have been a surprise considering his position - there were no lights; instead the room was lit up by lit touches along the walls.

Before he was able to grasp the door knob, voices froze his arm in mid-air. For a moment he considered grasping the power of the shadow realm and blasting his was out but he quickly dismissed the idea. He didn't know how many people would be out there and the last thing he wanted was to be surprised. Again. "Enough with the tests Madam; how is he?" It was a man's voice and that was all Yugi could tell about him. Though the voice sounded somewhat familiar for some reason. He backed away from the door and back to the bed. They must not know that he could hear them.

"If everything that you told me about him is true then I would have to say that he's great; In startlingly excellent condition." There was a pause then a long sigh. "He's fine; A bit shaky but completely healthy." There was another brief silence. All the time the voices had been getting closer to him. Yugi looked around and considering if he should hide or not. He decided not to, he wouldn't hide from these people. If they were the type of people that he thought that they were, then he was sure that he could take them.

"That's good."

"I never said that the boy was not hurt. But whatever it is that's hurting him is far beyond the reach of my hands." Yugi was sure that more would have been said if the door handle hadn't begun to move signalling the entrance of the two people. The woman - who had been called Madam - was the same woman he had seen earlier. Now that he took the time to look at her, she had to be nurse of some sort. Bringing up the rear was a much taller, much older man. He had a long beard and matching gray hair that was almost long enough to touch the hem of the long violet robe that he was wearing. Yugi looked up into the man's withered face and into blue eyes that were behind a pair of thin wired glasses. The man looked like someone's kindly grandfather and he could tell that this one would be harder to deal with than the others he had encountered. He didn't seem particularly threatening, but then, Yugi never did either.

The man stared down at him with a look that wasn't quite stern but wasn't all that serene either. If Yugi didn't know better he would have thought that the older man was wary of him. Inwardly he frowned - what the hell had happened after he had blacked out? There was a long moment of silence that seemed to stretch; Yugi didn't let any of his thought onto his face as he continued to stare at the other man. After what seemed like forever the man moved, reaching up to adjust his glasses. Slowly he walked forward, Yugi kept his eyes on him taking in his every movement but nothing in his poise spoke of any sort of threat. He walked towards the bed palms facing Yugi in a sign of surrender and taking slow measured steps; even though he didn't seem to be much threat, Yugi still kept the shadows in reach. The man stopped a few feet away from the bed and gave him a small smile.

"How are you feeling?" Yugi looked from the man to the nurse and back again keeping on his guard even though he was fully aware that he couldn't do anything if they did try anything.

"Who are you people?" The man looked surprised for a moment before chuckling.

"Imagine me, forgetting my manners." he offered Yugi a hand. "My name is Professor Albus Dumbledore; and you are?" Yugi didn't take the offered hand and after a moment Dumbledore dropped it to his side again. "Well we've been taking care of you for some time now. This lovely lady," He gestured to the woman that had woken him. "This is Madam Pomphy, the doctor that had been taking care of you all this time. Are you sure that you are alright?" Slowly Yugi nodded the response seemed to please the old man because he smiled at him and clapped his hands together. "Excellent."

"Why am I here?" Dumbledore placed a hand on his chin.

"Didn't I say so already? You were hurt and we brought you here. It doesn't get any simpler than that I fear." Yugi had to keep himself from growling.

"Where is this place and how did I get here?" Dumbledore's face seemed to get suddenly serious.

"As for where - it really shouldn't be of much concern to you." He raised a hand to stop Yugis protest. "But if you must know, we are in a location that is away from any major cities." Yugi's frown intensified. "As to how…" The Professor straightened his spectacles again. "That is something I like for you to tell us."

* * *

Harry glanced back at the house that he had just left. Those two were kind of weird. Ryou seemed to be okay if not a bit too… insightful while Bakura just freaked him out. Turning back he felt his mood drop as he stared at the house that he took shelter in - that was no kind of home to him. Thinking about his 'family' had his mind flashing back to the time that they had gone to the zoo. He shook his head. He couldn't understand why he could talk to a snake, or better yet, where the glass had gone. Snidely he hoped that the snake had some how gotten home. He sighed as he got closer to the house that he had lived in all of his life, he hoped that his relatives had calmed down now that all this time had passed.

He sighed and shook his head. Knowing his relatives there was no way. They were probably just waiting for him to get back so that they could hang him up by his toe nails. He sighed again as he headed for the front door; might as well go and face the music. Without thinking about it, Harry cringed.

* * *

To be honest, I have had this chapter done for a while now. But there were a number of things that kept it from coming out; First was the fact that I didn't like Dumbledore's (Hah! His name is in my spell checker) voice in this – I still don't but without reading all the books over again I will make due with what I have. Then – before I could get to revising The Wheel Of Time book 14 came in the mail and that was that. Then FINALS. I still have an exam in a few weeks but ah well… I really need to learn more about time management – that I think is a skill I could really benefit from lol.

Ah well that's it from me for now. Ciao


	10. Chapter 9

Sigh. This is unedited and given the simplest of look overs. I'm sorry but I'm tired. It's like thee am, I'm typing the last of this and watching the 1960's Original Star Trek Series. Lol – It's official, I'm a

Enjoy

**The Darkest Magic **

**Tifa Strifeheart **

**Chapter Nine **

It had taken about a week but he was, for the most part, wholly recovered. For the most part because he still had no idea where Yami was. He was somewhere locked behind his door but the door would not give way. The Dark Magician hadn't appeared again but Yugi was sure that he was still there somewhere in their shared mind watching. Now he was still in the room that he had woken up in. Madam Prophey had brought in his food and, after a tirade about not bothering to waste time poisoning someone that she had just healed, he had eaten it. All the necessary facilities were attached to the main room that he was in and he didn't really lack for anything but he couldn't leave. There was something about the room that was keeping him in. About the entire building. He could see outside his windows and he could open the glass doors but he couldn't get out of it. Some sort of force field stopped his hand short of being out of the window. This imprisonment was getting frustrating and the daily visits from Dumbledore were beginning to grate on his nerves and the only thing that the elderly man had been able to get out of him thus far had been his name. He had a task to complete; being here wasn't helping him. It would have been ore useful if he had been able to explore but the fact that he was trapped here.

He glanced over at the door as it opened; Dumbledore walked in and Yugi stopped his wondering to stare, none to nicely at him. The man had a bundle of cloths in his hands which Yugi recognized were his. He kept the relief that he was feeling off his face as to not give the professor the satisfaction. He had been wondering when he would be able to get out of the stupid hospital gown and into some real cloths and it was all he could do to keep himself from grabbing at them. "Here you are Yugi." Dumbledore set the cloths on what had unofficially been deemed Yugis bed. The younger man walked towards the bed to inspect the garments. He had decided a while ago that Dumbledore was not in himself dangerous - cunning yes, dangerous probably but a threat to him not so much. Not that he could say that he trusted the man any more then he could throw him. "Or would you prefer Mister Mutou?" Yugi glanced up at his amused face before turning away to look at his cloths again not in the slightest bit surprised that he had figured it out, it wasn't as if he was the most inconspicuous person in the world.

"Whichever you prefer is fine." In the corner of his eye he say the elderly man cross his arms, the ghost of a frown flashing across his face.

"But what are _you _doing _here_ Yugi Mutou? What is a missing person doing in a confrontation between dark wizards and the Ministry?" HE could feel those blue eyes boring into him searching for an answer but he wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of one. If the man wanted to treat him like a prisoner then he would play the role of one. In the corner of his eye he say the wizard being to stroke his beard in short languid movements. "May it have something to do with the sudden passing of a Sugoroku Mutou. A death the was written off as old age because the real cause had never been determined?"

From the moment his Grandfathers name had been spoken his whole body seemed to suddenly be made of stone. He was sure that it was obvious to the old man but he couldn't bring himself to care. He didn't want any of their kind speaking of his grandfather. A rational part of his mind told him that it was very unlikely that Dumbledore would have had anything to do with the attack on the Game Store. He heard a sigh before Dumbledores weight came down on the bed beside his cloths. The Professor was arranging his robes and when the elderly man looked up their eyes met. "Look Mister Mutou, believe me when I say that I mean you no harm. In fact I would think that there are ways that we would be able to help one another." Yugi tried keep the disbelieving look off his face; he failed and Dumbledore nodded. "If you will forgive mister Mutou but I checked the records." Yugis hands clenched around the black fabric. He didn't want to think about this. He had spent all this time trying to forget and this time there was no Yami to make the memoires go away. He didn't want to see the images that ran through his head with the memories. He didn't want to listen but at the same time he needed to know with a kind of sick fascination.

"What did you find out?" Dumbledore sighed.

"He was killed by a wizard using a spell that is forbidden by our kind. It kills instantly." He folded his hands in his lap. "But you knew that didn't you. You knew that it was one of our own. That is why you were in that field that night, isn't that right Mister Mutou?" Yugi just stared at the pile on the bed of cloths on the bed not really seeing them. He knew that there was no need for a response because the man was right and he knew it. He sighed all the resistance leaving his body, his fists finally unclenching. Yami wasn't here and he knew that he would need the aid of someone.

"It's Yugi."

"I'm sorry?" He looked up at the professor.

"Call me Yugi." The old man nodded a small smile coming to his face.

"Very well then Yugi."

"You said that you could help me find the people that did it."

Dumbledore cooked his head. "Not in so many words, I fear." He used a hand to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Look Yugi. I run a school, one that will be resuming soon and as such I must be here." Yugi frowned. "However, my school is on of few magical centers where you can most likely be able to find some sort of starting point. After the disaster at the Ministry I highly doubt that you will be able to get information from there. If you stay here I am sure that you will find something." It was Yugi's turn to think over the others words.

"What is in it for you? What would you want from me in exchange?" Dumbledore gave him a level look.

"I want to understand what it is that happened in that field that night. You don't seem to be a wizard yet you were able to hold your own a muggle." He straightened his glasses never once breaking their eye contact. "To put it simply - I want to know more about you, Yugi." Yugi stared at the old man. He knew that if he agreed he would, in some way, end up regretting it and he also knew that there was no way that his yami would like this at all. But on the other side: this was his best way to find out what was going on and why his grandfather had been dragged into it. He nodded.

"Fine. You have a deal."

* * *

Dumbledore didn't start breathing easy again till he entered his office and had the door closed behind him. Absently he pulled out one of the many sweets that he had in his top drawer and popped it in his mouth not even having enough presence of mind to figure out what it was that he was tasting. Yugi Mutou was just a bundle of complexities. There was something about the young man, something that made up for his lacking height and small stature - things that you wouldn't notice when in his presence. He could fill a room by just standing in it. And then there was the fact that he could use magic. He rolled the sweet on his tongue.

There was more to him then what met the eye and whatever it was had caught the eyes of darker wizards. That fact in itself was reason enough not to let him fall into their hands. Though peace had rained over the last ten years he better than anyone knew that the events that had taken place back then were far from order. Could it be merely a coincidence that Yugi appears now? Somehow the young man had some sort of magic and despite the fact that Dumbledore himself had been around the world a number of times he didn't recognize it from it's description. Briefly he wondered if Yugi was also a wizard. He bit down on the hard candy and it shattered.

He was worried about allowing Yugi on the school grounds among the students but from what he had observed Yugi didn't seem dangerous but bitter. That didn't mean that he wouldn't have the man monitored at all hours. If he became a threat to the students he would have to be dealt with promptly. He hoped that that didn't happen, there was much to learn from him. He always thought himself to be a good judge of character and he would follow instincts that had not failed him so far. He nodded to himself. Yugi would stay at Hogwarts where he could keep an eye on him personally, he would have to come up with some reason to have him on the grounds.

Glad that he had come to a decision the headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry turned his thought to other matters; like for example, the new batch of first years that were due in September. He glance down at the short list.

This year was sure to be interesting if anything.

* * *

Seto Kaiba sighed, rubbing his temples in a futile effort to stall an oncoming headache. He had been staring at the console at his desk trying to piece this together past events and so far he'd come up with nothing. "Computer, cross-reference by age." He spun his chair, away from the screen and the harsh light digging into his skull.

Jonouchi had disappeared somewhere and he couldn't really bring himself to care all that much. He had been having constant headaches: Jonouchi told him were caused by the use of his 'magic.' Apparently, his body would get used to it with time and usage. Since he couldn't move any faster than he already was, all he wanted was for time to hurry and pass. Not that he was going to admit that to anyone, the mutt least of all. He gave his temples one final knead before dropping his hands back onto the pages on his lap. With more effort than usual he stared at the words on the various news paper cut outs. He had told his assistant that he could have got all the articles on the Internet. Of course Jonouchi hadn't bothered to listen to him: now he had a small pile of newspaper clippings scattered across his desk. He also had a copy of every single one of them on his hard drive. Now looking at the paper and ink was a relief on his eyes from the glare of the screen but that was the only relief.

The articles seemed to be echoes of one another. They were all a testament to what it was that had been happening in the city for the past few months. Since Jonouchi had been able to get him into investigating they had not learned very much. It was more like the attacks had been steadily been getting worse as time passed. Each case had been the same; all the victims were found dead. According to Jonouchi all of the bodies were empty - husks of the people that they had once been. The blond had made him touch the body and he thought he had felt something - yet another thing that he wasn't likely to admit. He closed his eyes against the words. There had to be something. Something that they were overlooking. He needed to think everything they knew through.

Someone - or something - was targeting people in Domino. It was happening in cities around domino but not at the level that it was happening here. It was like Domino was the target, anywhere else that got hit just seemed to be unexpected causalities. The victims themselves had all been the same - no apparent damage done to them physically but more like they had fallen asleep and just passed on. Most of the cases would have been written off as such if there weren't a good number of cases that appeared to have ended in a struggle. That and the fact that most of them were too young to have just passed away. Jounouchi assured him that there was nothing remotely peaceful about the way that the people had 'passed' on. He sighed and looked away from the articles. What in the world could possibly be going on here.

"Mister Kaiba." He would have groaned if he were a lesser man but because he was Seto Kaiba, he just settled on glaring at the intercom on his desk. When the small black box refused to melt he reached for the talk button taking a mental note - with a hint of amusement - to get Jonouchi to show him how to burn things.

"I told you not to disturb me under any circumstances." He just heard her make a scared sound that was very satisfying.

"I- I'm sorry Sir. I-I … There is someone here to see you." Her words came out in a rush as if she were trying to take the blame off of her self. Kaiba frowned even though she wasn't his direct secretary, she knew better than to take his orders lightly.

"I told you to cancel all my appointments and hold my calls. I made it clear that I didn't want to see anyone."

"I know Sir but- this person says that he must see you." He gave the intercom a hard stare. Before he got a chance to say anything however the connection was cut from the other end. He had been in enough sticky situations in his life not to take the suddenness of the action as a warning. Without sparing anytime to think he pulled out the gun that he always kept in the lowest drawer of his desk and made sure that it was loaded and ready. It wouldn't take whoever it was long to get from the floor lobby to his office and he wasn't going to be taken by surprise.

On silent feet, Kaiba moved around his desk. The carpet seemed to eat sound as he crossed the large room. Carefully he pressed his ear against the large wooden doors that led into the hall way. The seconds passed by as he listened intently to the silence. Once he was sure that the hallway was empty he took a steadying breath - one hand on the door knob the other with a firm grip on the hilt of his gun. With trained speed he pushed the door open; his gun at ready.

He never got the chance to use it. His world was instantly a wash of white.

* * *

Jonouchi stepped through the automatic double doors Kaiba Corp and the hairs on the back of his arms instantly. His eyes narrowed as he glared at his surroundings looking for the source of his discomfort, I wasn't the woman at the main desk. He glanced two men walking out of the building in a pair of suits, one nodded at him and he eased his expression and returned the nod as they passed. It wasn't the number of people that sitting in the lobby waiting nor was it the janitor sweeping off in one of the corners. He shook his head. Standing here looking around wasn't going to fix things nor would it tell him what the hell had been going on. He hadn't been gone that long but something in Kaiba Corp was different. Something was wrong. Without a glance at the front desk secretary he made his way to the elevators. The waiting on the elevator was excruciating and the crush of bodies around him drove the fact home. Standing in the crowd he _knew_ that something was wrong. There was a feeling that he could not place but the higher up that he got the more defined that feeling got. He was beginning to dread what he would find when he got to the top floor. Worry made the ride up both longer and infinitely shorter. Before he realized it, the elevator had emptied and it was making it's final stop at the top floor.

The elevator doors slid open smoothly and he was instantly alert. His eyes scanned the small lobby in one sweep; his 'shadow senses' sweeping the area for anymore threats. There was the woman sitting at one of the two desks. His was the one on the right and closer to the door. Even as tense as he was he managed a smile as he started towards the woman's desk; even if it was a bit strained. "Hey Mrs. Mikuru. Anything happed while I was out?" _'Light, light. Keep it easy.'_

The middle aged woman shook her head. "Nope. It's been really quite. Not a peep from him." She gave him a private smile that he often shared with her about ;the boss.' He could only return it with a pale imitation. Without another word he swept passed her and towards the CEO's office. When he had left, Kaiba had been nursing a headache that he had been enduring for the past few days. He was sure that the prude was going to burst before he got back. The fact that he hadn't was more then a cause for concern. Hell, Jonouchi was downright worried.

He knocked before opening the door; justifying the politeness of the action by not bothering to wait for a response. Kaiba was at his desk, typing rapidly on his computer. The CEO didn't spare him a glace as he walked in and Jonouchi felt something in his gut ease slightly. He was alright. Something was still strange but at least Kaiba wasn't hurt because of it. Finally the brunette looked up at him, eyebrow raised blue eyes sharp. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Jonouchi couldn't hold back the grin that split his face. "Ah, don't tell me that you missed me." Kaiba's other eyebrow joined its mate and Jonouchis grin increased. "I wasn't gone that long. The station had nothing that I didn't already have. And all the autopsy reports were the same for the most recent victims." He plopped down on one of the two chairs that were in front of the large wooden desks with a dramatic sigh for effect.

Kaiba shot him a level look. "You better not end up dragging me down with you." He chuckled; Kaiba glared.

"So… What were you able to do while I was gone? Learn anything?" Kaiba didn't but Jonouchi knew he wanted to roll his eyes.

"I worked. What else do you think I do here?"

He leaned forward. If it was Kaiba saying this… "Any progress? You find anything?" Kaiba leaned back in his chair. If Jonouchi didn't know better, he would have thought that the CEO was confused.

"What are you talking about? What could I possibly be looking for?" Jonouchi stared at him in disbelief. They had been working on this for almost a month now. There was no way that he could have forgotten. And Kaiba didn't joke. Did he?

He stood up. "You have got to be kidding me." He glanced down at the desk, in search for the paper clippings that he had left for the CEO. "We have been working on this for weeks now. What do you mean 'what am I talking about'?" When he couldn't find the clippings he moved around the desk. Ignoring the protests of Kaiba whom he pushed out of his way, Jonouchi opened the three drawers on the left side of the desk in successions and rifled through them. They were gone. All the clippings that he had so painstakingly collected were gone. He turned, blue eyes meeting brown. "Where are they?" Kaiba just glared.

"Where is what?"

He couldn't be serious. "The article clippings that I gave you! The ones on the murders!" Now Kaiba wasn't trying to hide his confusion.

"What are you going on about Mutt?" He sighed and leaned back to sit on the edge of the desk facing his employer. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes for a moment. He knew that something was wrong when he had entered the building. He opened his eyes and focused on the man in front of him.

"Look. A few weeks ago we found the body of this homeless guy. It looked like his soul had been taken from his body. He was dead." Kaiba was giving him a dry look that told him that he didn't believe a word that was coming out of his mouth. "You have to believe me! There are so many people that-" Jonouchi, never one for patience, he reached for Kaiba's wrist to emphasis his point. Their skin touched for only the barest second but it was enough. He pulled his hand away with a muffled cry. He gripped the limb as if it had been burned and in a way it had been. He stared at Kaiba in horror. He thought that something had happened and now he was sure. Now Kaiba was staring at him like he was insane now but now he knew what the problem was. There was something _inside _of him. Inside Kaiba.

"What happened today?"

Kaiba frowned even through his confusion. "I told you already I've been here working all day since you left." Jonouchi stood up.

"That's not right. Something happened." He stopped his pacing and pointed at Kaiba. "Something happened to you when I left." He dragged a hand through his hair.

"What the hell are you talking about? Damn it Jonouchi" The fact that the brunette was swearing told him enough about how aggravated he was with what he was witnessing. Ignoring his out burst, the blonde did the only thing that he could think of and reached through the scales at his neck and into the power of the shadow realm. Reaching mentally towards Kaiba he frowned when his 'fingers' brushed against the other man. Kaiba shivered unconsciously at the touch but, thankfully, stayed silent. Probably acknowledging the fact that whatever it was he was doing was important - hell Jonouchi didn't know _what_ it was that he was doing but even he knew that it was important. After a moment he felt it there; wrapped around Kaibas head seeping into the skin, the bone and into the brain and wrapping around his spine. Something was there. He wasn't sure what it was but he knew that he couldn't force it off whatever it was. There had to be another way.

He slowly began to come back to himself and frowned. He couldn't do anything about this from the outside but maybe… He swung to face Kaiba. "Where is the Rod?" Kaiba pointed to a drawer that was usually locked on the right side of the desk. "I told you not to let it out of your sight.

"It's not as you can see." Kaiba snapped with a frown. Jonouchi just opened his hand and waited till Kaiba fished the key from his pocket and - ignoring the out stretched palm - reached around the blonde and opened the drawer himself. In it, the Rod lay in the middle of a stand of some sort. Jonouchi snorted at the sight.

"Take it." Kaiba gave him a dry look before reaching into the drawer. He braced himself as he watched long pale fingers reach out and touch the golden surface. As he watched the brunette lift the Rod he started to think that he was wrong; so anti-climactic.

He realized that he was wrong when Kaiba began to scream.

* * *

Well. Please Read and Review


	11. Chapter 10

So I didn't mean to spilt these two as much as I did. I just ended up happening because I was tired and wanted to get something up before I went to bed on Friday. Well then I ended up posting in Saturday but that's all in details.

~Also, I know it took so long for me to get this chapter up. Mid-terms kind of blind sighted me even though I knew that they were coming. Now I'm free for the next month, or rather I'm relatively free as school will let me ever be.

Anyways enjoy.

**The Darkest Magic **

**Tifa Strifeheart**

**~Last Time~**

_He realized that he was wrong when Kaiba began to scream._

**Chapter Ten**

He had no idea what was going on but he knew whatever it was it was Kaiba's fault. He never thought he would have ever heard such a terrible sound from him. The fact only made the idea of Kaiba in pain now even more vexing. When he found the people that had done this… Mentally, he shook his head. He would deal with the people who did this to the CEO later; now he had to focus on Kaiba.

He had stopped screaming but he was still panting, head clutched in one hand, eyes staring unfocused at the ground, white knuckles gripping the rod. Jounouchi wasn't sure what had happened to him but the Millennium Rod in one hand was still pulsing with a steady glow. Whatever it was that was, The Rod was dealing with it. Knowing he had nothing else to do but wait, and not liking the idea a bit, Jounouchi steered the taller man into his large 'CEO chair' and settled on waiting.

The intercom chirped followed by the worried voice of Mikiru. "Mr. Kaiba?" He couldn't help smiling. If Kaiba knew how much his employees cared about him he did a fine job of disguising the fact. Jonouchi reached over his boss and pressed one of the intercom buttons.

"He's fine Mrs. Mikuru. I've got him." There was a pause and even though he couldn't hear it, he knew that the older woman was sighing.

"Alright then, Good work Jounouchi." He nodded, aware that she couldn't see him. He straightened as the intercom cut out.

Frowning Jonouchi looked around the large office.

Someone had notice them. Someone was watching them and had figured out that they were looking into the murders. For a moment he let himself entertain the idea that this was just a corporate attack on the CEO, by company trying to take over or do away with another, but shook the thought away. There was no way that this was a mere corporate attack. That's what his gut told him and experience had tauht him to trust his gut. Besides the way that they had altered Kaiba's memories had been too precise. It couldn't have been drugs; the accuracy was too accurate - only attaching to those memories concerning the cases. And hypnosis was out because he highly doubted that Kaiba would have allowed himself sit still long enough to let anyone finish the job. The only idea that made sense to him was that whoever it was that was killing people on the streets had moved to stop their snooping. It made sense. They couldn't have just killed Kaiba that would have brought on too much attention to themselves. And anyone who knew shit about Kaiba knew that threats were useless, regardless of the fact that they were willing to confess to the attacks even in such an indirect way. Taking his memories of the past few months' events was the only option that made sense. They had planned this and had executed it perfectly. The realization left an ugly feeling in the pit of his stomach. They had hit too close to home.

They had come for someone close to him. Now it was personal.

There was a groan to his right and he turned to Kaiba that was finally coming back to himself. Forcing his trademark grin onto his face, he squatted in order to look up at the other man's face. "Morning, Sunshine." Kaiba had squeezed his shut eyes tighter for a moment. Those blue eyes cracked open and focused on him. Jounouchi couldn't help the way his smile grew to the point that he was beaming. With another groan - this one definitely more exaggerated then the one before it - he shut his eyes again. Putting his elbows on his knees and his chin in his fists, Jonouchi took pity on the poor man. "In fear of being a jerk, I have to say I told you so."

"Shut up."

He watched the brunette exhale deeply before opening his eyes again, this time the haze had cleared somewhat. "Those assholes." He straightened his back leaning into his chair. The Rod in his lap had stopped glowing but Jounouchi could feel its power still radiating as it began to die down. He looked up at the other man.

"You remember the people who did this to you?"

Kaiba nodded. "They couldn't dress, that was one thing. Looked like they walked out of a 1970's mafia movie." Jonouchi would have laughed if they had been in any other situation; if Kaiba had noticed the way that they dressed then it must have been bad. Instead he settled for a snort.

"What happened?"

"Mikuru had paged me." Kaiba leaned forward placing his elbows on his large desk and staring at the other side of the office. Jounouchi didn't move, not wanting to ruin this moment of share and tell. "She knew that I was not to be disturbed. She claimed that there was someone that needed to see me." He frowned and Jonouchi could already tell that he was considering firing his other secretary. Jonouchi stood up with a stretch and walked around the desk.

"Don't." Kaiba stared at him hard as he sat down. "She didn't remember anything either." There was a moment before Kaiba nodded.

"I knew something was up so I grabbed my gun." Even as he said it, Kaiba opened the drawer that Jonouchi knew had he kept his gun and looked in. By his face alone Jonouchi could tell that the gun was in its rightful place. Kaiba reached in a pulled the gun out of its drawer. Jounouchi watched as he began to check the gun over with practiced movements. It said a lot that Kaiba had chosen the gun over the more powerful Rod. They would have to do something about that. "I know that I was silent when I went over to the door. There was no way that they should have been able to tell that I was there but somehow they did. I opened the door and they did something. For a moment all I saw was white before they were dragging me into the office. I couldn't move my body but I could see what they were doing and hear what they were saying."

Jonouchi watched as deft fingers slowly began to take the gun apart going over each piece with a confident ease. He refrained from making comment.

"They put me at my desk and then begun to debate." Kaiba looked up and their eyes met. "They were arguing about whether they should kill me or not." It was an effort for him to supress a shiver. The look in Kaiba's eyes said that it was a conversation that he had heard before; something that he was used to. The fact that it was probably true made him sad. After what seemed like forever, the CEO went back to his firearm and Jonouchi went back to breathing. "Apparently killing me - they called me 'a muggle' whatever that means - like they had all the others would have been too suspicious. They settled on wiping my memories instead." His grip had tightened on the final pieces of what had been his gun. Jonouchi watched as his hands resumed moving over the pieces again. They were shaking. "After that there is a flash of light again - from a stick like thing that each of them had."

"You mean a wand?" Kaiba looked up, giving his male secretary a dry look. Jonouchi couldn't help flashing him a lopsided grin. "Hey, that's what it sounded like." Kaiba rolled his eyes and went back to his gun.

"Fine, it was a wand. They used it on me and at this point my memories split." He put the final piece of metal that had once been a gun on the table. "I have memories. One is of them doing whatever it is that they did to me, taking all the research stuff on my desk and leaving. The other is of doing work for Kaiba corp. That is the memory that takes over until you come in."

He looked up them and Jonouchi could see the question that he would never ask but wanted answers to. With the gun spread out in pieces in front - a tool Kaiba trusted that had failed him - and the knowledge of what those people had been able to do to him between them Jonouchi understood. He leaned back on his chair threading his fingers on his stomach and trying to look calmer then he felt.

"Well something good did come out of all this." Kaiba lifted a single eyebrow and Jonouchi snorted. "At least we know that the items can reverse the effects of whatever it is that they can do." He sobered. "Accept death." Across the desk Kaiba nodded and he sighed in response. "Well, whatever happens, one thing is clear – we have to become better at using the items. For now that's our only defense against them." Again Kaiba nodded his hands returning to the pieces on the wooden desk. With more confidence and speed he began to put the weapon back together. Jonouchi had to confess - that was kind of cool. Like James Bond.

"We'll leave work early today and head to the Realm. If anything we should start there." Jonouchi nodded. This was the Kaiba that he wanted to see. The lost one was unsettling. He gave the other man a mock salute.

"Yes, Sir." Kiaba rolled his eyes and he grinned back as the final pieces of the silver gun clicked back into place.

* * *

Ryou sighed as he stared at the map on the table. He was beginning to get a headache and whatever it was that was going on with the avian population in the area was not doing anything to help. It had been some time since they had felt anything from Yugi and they had been trying to pinpoint his location with no luck. He was just about ready to give up and wait for Yugi's next fluctuation and just set all his monsters on him. He took a deep breath. Now he was getting impatient, he told himself. They had waited this long, there was no point in rushing now and ruining whatever it was that Yugi was doing. Sometimes being a good friend was so annoying.

The sound of heavy footsteps in the hallway told him that Bakura was back from where ever it was that he had gone to. He looked up expectantly glad to have a distraction. Or at least he was glad until Bakura appeared. His yami was wearing a pair of slacks and a long sleeve shirt but that wasn't what had his headache finally breaking through and start pounding between his eyes. It was the dead owl that he had clenched in one fist by its feet. The brown carcass stained partially with blood. Some of which was dripping onto their kitchen floor. There was a gleam in his eye that, while it didn't scare him, had him nervous for every other living thing around in the area. He spared a glance at the poor bird hoping that it had come to a swift, painless end. He doubted it though.

He looked up at the other's face with a frown. "Kura! What did you do?" His yami just grinned at him throwing the carcass on top of the map on the table. To use to Bakuras displays he could only be bothered to worry if the blood would stain the wood underneath the thin paper.

"They are annoying. Ra. The damn things are everywhere!" He reached up with his dripping hand and Ryou gave him pointed stare. They both know what he wanted to do and both knew what Ryou would not do if he carried it out. With a grumble, Bakura moved the bloody hand away from his mouth and moved over to the sink where he began to wash his them instead. With an approving nod Ryou turned back to look at the poor bird. The only thing that it did was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was wondering where he would bury the thing when Bakura walked over to the table wiping his hands on one of the kitchen towels. Ryou hoped that his yami had used soap.

An envelope suddenly appeared beside the carcass, somehow missing the small pool of blood that had begun to form around it. "Before you start on how cruel I am you may want to take a look at that." Across from him, Bakura pulled out a chair and dropped into it. Ryou followed suit sitting across from him. The fact that they were sitting at a table with a dead bird between them did not go unappreciated by Ryou. He just decided to ignore it for now. He wouldn't have traded his yami for anything - quirks and all. Or at least that's what he told himself. No matter how tempting the idea was sometimes.

He reached around the bird and picked up the letter. He recognized the texture of the envelope. As someone who had studied Ancient Egypt due to both educational and personal reasons alike, he knew parchment when he felt it. The fact that someone was writing using parchment in this day and age could only mean one of two things. Either there was some very eccentric person out there with a history fetish or there was something more sinister going on probably involving a cult of some kind and this was some sort of initiation. He placed his bets on the latter. He knew all the eccentric history nuts in the world. They preferred e-mail or tape recorded messages with the ability to steal your souls - Crawford had been a sick, sick man. He glanced at Bakura who was prodding the bird with a finger; like he, was one to talk.

He flipped the envelope over and read who it was addressed to. His eyes widened. Whatever he had been expecting, the address he saw wasn't it.

_Mr. H. Potter _

_The Cupboard under the Stairs _

_4 Privet Drive _

_Little Whinging _

_Surrey_

Bakura noticed his look and grinned. "I had the exact same reaction and had to ask myself: What's more shocking?" He checked off the conditions on his fingers. "The letter's existence, the fact that Harry lives under the stairs or the idea that someone is obviously stalking him." Bakura cackled and Ryou could only give him an exasperated look before going back to the letter. He pulled out the contents of the envelope - which was also made up of the same kind of parchment. Ryou placed the empty envelope on the table, unfolded the letter and began to read.

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL_

_of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY _

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._

_Yours sincerely, _

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

He knew his eyebrows almost reached his hair line by the time he had finished reading and he didn't need Bakura's amused expression to tell him how it made him look. "What is all this?" He glanced at the second page of the letter. It was a list of books and other things that Harry would need to start in September. That was to say, it looked like a list. Some of the items on the page looked preposterous in themselves - a caldron, really, for what?

Bakura moved towards him, smile feral. "Well, little light, it looks like our resident drama queen has been invited to school." He smiled. Ryou shivered. "A school for _magic_." Ryou rolled his eyes and went back to the letter.

"This would have to mean that magic is real. And they are teaching it to people." He looked at Bakura. "Isn't that a bad thing? People shouldn't know magic." Bakura frowned more serious now. He crossed his arms over his cesti and glared down at the letter.

"It's different." He nodded to the parchment. "They need wands for starters. Wands were only used back then for the most powerful of rituals. This looks like they use wand all the time." He snorted.

"But is any of this real?"

Bakura gave him a look. "What, you think owls with letter strapped to their legs are just a coincidence?" Ryou couldn't help smiling slightly. Bakura sighed.

"Well there is only one way to find out if any of this is real or if someone is pulling the gag of the the century." He glared at Ryous blank look. "We follow Mr. H. Potter of course!" He turned away muttering something that Ryou didn't bother to try listening to.

The plan was easier said than done. It was well into August before either of them saw Harry Portter again. There hadn't been any screaming or violent displays from the Dursly household in weeks and they - or at least Ryou - were beginning to think that the boy was gone when they saw him taking a walk one day.

"Hey! Harry." The boy turned to see who was calling him. He stopped his walk and let them catch up. Each of the older males taking a side of him and together they resumed their walk. "It's been a while Harry. How have you been?" Above the boys head, Ryou shot a glare at Bakura. /_Please yami, don't let him know we know_./

Bakura just snorted - getting a strange look from Harry but didn't say anything. The boy turned to look up at him beaming. "I'm okay I guess. Just, you know, getting ready for school and such."

Ryou arched an eyebrow. "Oh? What school do you go to?" There was a flicker of something on Harry's face, Ryou was sure it was panic, before he was smiling again.

"It's not from around here so I doubt you would know it." Ryou accepted the boys dodge.

"So I take it that you will be living there."

Harry nodded. "Yep. For a whole year. I think it's a boarding school. I've never been to one of those."

"How are you affording it?" Ryou shot his yami a mollified look. That wasn't the kind of question you just asked some one. Apparently Harry didn't know that.

"My mom and dad paid my tuition." Ryou was surprised and it showed on his face for a second. Harry had never spoken of his parents in the time they had known him. He decided to change the subject; this was obviously one that he wasn't prone to talking much about.

"Last time you were over we only got through the basics of Duel Monsters. Since we won't see each other for some time, would you like to learn some more?" Harry glanced from him to his own house and back again. If Ryou didn't know better he would have said that the boy was reluctant.

After a long moment, Harry just smiled and nodded. "Sure." Ryou glanced at his yami as they walked in a comfortable silence to their house.

_/Isn't there some way that we can keep an eye on him./ _

Bakura returned his glare with a glance _/What the hell do you think I've been doing while you were babying the brat?/ _Ryou rolled his eyes and Bakura smirked in return.

He focused back on the boy between them. Most other kids would have been chatty by now. Harry wasn't like most other kids. It made Ryou sad to think about it. "When do you start school Harry?" The boy frowned then.

"Kinda early this year, Ryou." Green eyes looked up at him. "I start on the first of September."

Ryou just nodded with a smile. Beside Harry he could feel the fine weaves of shadow that Bakura was working on.

* * *

"Are you sure that you want to do this, Yugi." Yugis turned, closing the book he had been reading and marking his place with a finger. Headmaster Dumbledore was standing in the doorway of the small classroom. The room was empty but that was okay because he was still trying to familiarize himself with it.

He shook his head. "Are you okay with this Dumbledore. Having me here could probably put you in a lot of trouble."Albus smiled in that way that told Yugi he was amused.

"Probably, but you didn't kill anyone at the Ministry on your rampage." There was a question there that Yugi didn't rise to. He knew that Dumbledore wanted to find out what had happened and he was sacrificing a lot to help Yugi. He just wasn't sure if he could completely trust the man yet. Trust any of them. Then there was the fact that he didn't really know what had happened in the Ministry beyond what anyone had told him.

The elderly professor adjusted his glasses. "Besides I was never one to see eye to eye with the Ministry on every matter." Yugi smiled. There was something about this man that he couldn't help wanting to trust. He wasn't deceived though. He knew there was some sort of power in him that had to be watched but the desire to trust was genuine. He would have known if someone was manipulating him.

"Are you sure that you are up for this, Yugi?" He nodded glancing down at the book in his hand.

"Yes. The information itself is not very extensive I think that I have most of it down.I will be bringing in some of the creatures with the help of… the games keeper." Dumbledore reminded him of the large man's name. "I'll familiarize myself with them before the year starts. Thankfully there were still notes" Dumbledore nodded. "If it is truly a course on defending against the powers of darkness then I may add my own twist to the course as well." Like he had suspected, Dumbledore didn't protest. He just reminded Yugi that he should contact him if he needed anything and left.

Yugi stared after the man for some time before settling down at the teacher's desk. The last thing he had thought he would be doing when he left Domino was teaching and here he was. Running around the countryside had not got him too much closer to the person that was responsible for his grandfather's death and it had almost gotten him killed. He had to do this right and a center for information seemed like his best bet. Since the Ministry of Magic was out of the question, he had to make due with Hogwarts. Besides, children were freer with information then their adult counterparts. He sighed and leaned back into his chair.

It had been almost a month now and he was so lonely. He hadn't felt Yami in nearly a month. It was like he was just gone. Sometimes Yugi would just sit in front of the large metal door in that endless corridor just to confirm its existence. To be sure that behind it his yami was still there. He couldn't remember a time when his head was last so silent and the silence was getting to him. He missed the feel and the buss of yami in the back of his mind. He was trying as hard as he could to keep holding up but he didn't want to do this alone. He needed his yami back with him. Yugi relaxed against the back of the chair and, with a few deep breaths, the world began to fade away and he was gone.

He opened his eyes standing in his soul room facing the screen to the outside world. That in itself was weird considering that he always appeared on the bed unless… his eyes widened refusing to believe. The only time he didn't appear in his bed was when there was someone else already in it. There could only be one person in the room of his soul. Not sure if he could believe Yugi turned around.

"Hello Yugi." Before he knew what he was doing, he launched himself at the figure on the bed. He had probably expected the reaction and so caught Yugi with ease. Yugi didn't care enough to analyse it. The only thing that mattered now was his yami; strong and safe and there in his room with him. His vision blurred with tears he couldn't have stopped even if he wanted to. He just sat there, half on the bed half on his yami, sobbing into the fabric of his leather vest. Yami was saying something to him, probably something to calm him down, but Yugi wasn't listening. All he could hear was the deep timber of his darker halves voice and all he could think was that he was finally home. He wasn't sure if he was talking about himself or his yami and he couldn't bring himself to care.

After what seemed like forever the stream of tears finally died down to muffled sniffles. Yami had stopped talking but had never stopped rubbing circles on Yugis back. Yugi snuggled closer making sure that his hands were locked behind Yami's back deciding that he never wanted to let the other go. They stayed like this in silence for some time before Yami broke it. "I missed you, Yugi." Yugi nodded into his other half's chest. 'Miss' did not begin to describe how he had felt without Yami by him. Yami seemed to understand because he held Yugi even tighter for a moment. Finally he pulled away and Yugi let him. When he looked up into red eyes he felt his joy crash into him all over again.

"You're back." Yami nodded and smiled down at him.

"I am." Yugi couldn't stop the grin that split his face. He lunged forward to give Yami a quick hug and pulled back again to look up at him.

"I'm glad. I have so much to tell you."

* * *

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